Williamson had left a strong imprint on the Minnesota and U.S. hockey scene. Moving to Minnesota after being raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Murray starred for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in the late 1950’s, becoming an All American in his senior season and team MVP.

A short semi-pro playing career led to his focus on coaching, beginning with the St. Paul Steers in the United States Hockey League. This led Williamson to several assignments as coach of U.S. national teams. He guided team USA in three World Championships (1967, 1969 and 1971). Two more national stints included the 1968 and 1972 USA Olympic Teams. The ’68 team finished sixth at the Grenoble, France Olympics, followed by a silver medal in the 1972 games in Sapporo, Japan.

In 1973, Murray helped form the Midwest Junior Hockey League, which in time, would become the highly recognized United States Hockey League, America’s top junior hockey league. Also that year, a new international tournament was formed that would become one of the great stages for future NHL’ers, the World Junior Hockey Championships, which will be coming to Minnesota for the 2025-26 tournament. Williamson was the first U.S. National Team coach in the tourney held in Leningrad, Russia.

Williamson was inducted into several Hockey Halls of Fame: U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame; Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame; the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame; and the University of Minnesota Athletic Hall of Fame. Murray became involved with the Hobey Baker Award shortly after its founding in 1981 at the Decathlon Athletic Club in Bloomington, Minnesota.