Update:
This report has been updated with information provided by the UIL to The Dallas Morning News on Friday.
UIL investigating Keller swim teams, 6A state champions this year
If found guilty of rule violations, Keller could be forced to vacate the titles its boys and girls teams won in February.
By Greg Riddle
Keller‘s state championship swimming and diving program is under investigation by the University Interscholastic League for alleged rule violations, the governing body for Texas public schools confirmed with The Dallas Morning News.
If found guilty, the school could be forced to vacate its February state championships.
The UIL told The News on Friday that the alleged rule violations relate to Section 1202 of the UIL rules that require high school coaches to be full-time employees of the school board of the school the team represents. Three people with direct knowledge of the situation told The News that Keller athletes were training with their club team — Lakeside Aquatic Club — during school hours and at a school facility.
Being coached by a club coach during what is supposed to be a high school practice would be a violation of the UIL rule on full-time employees.
Multiple parents said Keller athletes were enrolled in an athletics class at Keller but would use that time to train with their club team. The parents asked not to be identified because of fear of retaliation against their children.
The investigation comes on the heels of Keller coach Jamie Shults’ resignation, one of two high-profile coaching changes in the high school swimming community this offseason. Shults did not respond to multiple phone messages, and Keller Independent School District did not respond to an email.
“Following standard procedure, the ISD was notified and asked to investigate the matter and report back to UIL,” the UIL said in an email Thursday. “Keller ISD is cooperating, and we are awaiting their findings.”
Shults in February led Keller to a sweep of the boys and girls Class 6A team state titles. She resigned for undisclosed reasons earlier this month, Keller ISD confirmed. Shults replaced her mother, Linda Shults, as coach before the 2022-23 season.
Keller became the third school in UIL history to sweep the team titles in the top classification in the same year, ing The Woodlands and Southlake Carroll, and it was the third consecutive team state championship for the Keller boys.
Carroll coach Kevin Murphy was reassigned after the season but is still employed within the district, a Carroll ISD spokesperson confirmed with The News. Murphy declined to comment. Keller and Carroll compete in the same district and are a few miles apart.
UIL schools are limited to how many hours coaches can work with students. Club swimming is vital to helping athletes reach an elite level and is a major recruiting tool like AAU basketball, but it must be done outside school hours.
Keller’s titles were anchored by senior Maximus Williamson, an elite swimming prospect who signed with Virginia. Williamson, who won four state titles and set two national individual records at the 2025 meet, swam for Carroll as a freshman before transferring to Keller. A Keller roster for 2024-25 that is online shows 19 boys, including Williamson, and 15 girls who are also with the Lakeside Aquatic Club.
One parent provided The News with screenshots of messages that appear to be from Lakeside Aquatic Club head coach Jason Walter to Keller swimmers, detailing their workout schedule during school hours. Walter‘s name is on multiple messages, and the first names of several Keller swimmers are on one of the messages.
Walter did not respond to an email or call.
Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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