A two-sport athlete at the University of Washington in football and track and field, he was a starting guard for the 1991 national champions, a three-time Rose Bowl participant, and an All-American shot putter.

Kaligis has been an assistant coach for various college football programs since 1994.

Kaligis played college football at the University of Washington from 1990 to 1993, where he was an offensive lineman and an All-American in the shot put.

In 2012, Kaligis acted as head coach for Wyoming against Boise State while head coach Dave Christensen served a one-game suspension following a profanity-laced tirade after a one-point loss to Air Force two weeks earlier.

[citation needed] Kaligis took over as interim head coach on December 18, 2024, after head coach Jake Dickert departed for Wake Forest.