Pete Kaligis, UW National Championship OG, Has New Coaching Job
Further confusing the competitive lines for University of Washington football, Pete Kaligis, a starting offensive guard for the Huskies' 1991 national championship team, has received a new coaching job bound to get some statewide reaction.
Washington State hired him.
On Monday, the Cougars welcomed Kaligis as their new defensive-line coach for Jake Dickert's staff following 13 years at Wyoming in various roles and a previous four at Montana. He was one of four new assistants revealed.
While former UW coaches and players seem to be popping up everywhere across the Pac-12 landscape these days, Kaligis adds to an already befuddling situation in the Palouse for Husky fans.
The Cougars already have a young wide receiver named Hobert, as in Joey, the son of Billy Joe Hobert — the UW national-title team quarterback and Kaligis teammate — plus another pass-catcher in Leon Neal Jr., the son of running back Lee Neal, who likewise was part of that Husky championship crew.
Kaligis, who turns 51 on Thursday, was a sophomore left guard who started all 12 games for those 1991 Huskies who went unbeaten by defeating Nebraska, California and USC on the road and capping off their perfect season with a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan.
A Bellingham native, he carried a modest 6-foot-2, 255-pound frame but was considered the strongest Husky in the program at the time. Unfortunately for him, he started only two more games at the UW because of ongoing knee problems.
Kaligis served as the Husky strength and conditioning coach from 2002 to 2004, and was the assistant strength coach for three seasons prior to that.
And now he's the Cougars assistant head coach as well as the D-Line coach.
Pete Kaligis coached at Wyoming for more than a decade.
UW Athletics
In 13 years at Wyoming, Kaligis coached the offensive line, the defensive line and the running backs, and was a co-offensive coordinator and run-game coordinator.
He was hired in 2009 by Dave Christensen, a former Husky offensive lineman, and he spent the past eight seasons working for Craig Bohl.
Kaligis cited one of the reasons for making the job change was for him and his wife to move closer to family in Central Washington.
And now one of his responsibilities is to beat the Huskies.
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