Repairing the world, one engine at a time
Keith Murray ’91, a history major who took Arabic language classes at Skidmore, planned to study Middle Eastern history after graduation. He ended up landing a Peace Corps assignment in Yemen. Then the first U.S.-led Gulf War hit, and that opportunity disappeared.
It was a disappointing turn of events, but Murray was already working part time as an apprentice mechanic under Burt Schwab, owner of Coachworks of Saratoga.
“I had the basic mechanical skills from being a motorcycle and small-engine wrench,” says Murray, “but Burt taught me to take pride in my work, fix it fast, and fix it right.”
Growing up on a dairy farm in nearby Stillwater, he says working hard and getting his hands dirty are part of his DNA. “I was a natural at fixing things — dirt bikes, snowmobiles, monster trucks, tractors, you name it,” says Murray.
In 1987, he decided to pursue an associate degree at the Sage Junior College of Albany (now Russell Sage). It was then that the ever-curious Murray developed an interest in the Middle East and Islam, earning honors in history and converting to Islam.
“The core beliefs and principles of Islam just fit me — who I was and who I wanted to be,” says Murray. “Work hard, take care of body and soul, be kind, believe in a higher power.”
A change in plans
Murray had his sights set on attending SUNY Cobleskill to pursue diesel mechanics but couldn’t make it to a required admissions interview. Instead, he applied to Skidmore through the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), which provides access to college for talented students who otherwise might be unable to attend.
A first-generation collegian, Murray became good friends with fellow students in the program at Skidmore. He loved his classes. He helped found a running club. He worked in what is today the Geosciences Department. And in his free time, he worked at Coachworks.
I was just an ordinary guy trying to fit in. With HEOP, it was okay to be yourself.”
Staying connected
For more than three decades, Murray has stayed centered and connected by praying five times a day, even as his work has proved demanding.
“We used to work 10- and 12-hour days for the first 20 years, six days a week, and many times on Sunday,” says Murray, who was named general manager of Coachworks in 2004.
Fitness has offered another outlet: For years, Schwab and Murray spent their off-hours mountain biking, kayaking, and snowboarding. Today, Murray is a certified Iron Man coach and trained for a third Lake Placid Iron Man competition but recently underwent knee replacement surgery.
Now that Schwab has retired from Coachworks, Murray is in charge. He is adding a second location and a pair of two-year apprentices, whom he plans to mentor — just as Schwab did for him many repairs ago.
Is it odd that a mechanic majored in history at a liberal arts college?
“Nope. They are both about doing research and understanding or solving problems,” he says. “I still read a lot of history and watch a lot of documentaries. But working on engines is so satisfying — taking something broken and making it right. Extreme satisfaction, especially when you hear the sound and vibration of a healthy engine.”
A version of this article first appeared in the fall 2025 issue of Skidmore College’s Scope magazine.
