Born in Blackrock, Coughlan first played competitive hurling whilst at school at the North Monastery.
In 1994 Coughlan was a key member of the half-forward line as the North Monastery faced Midleton CBS Secondary School in the Munster colleges decider.
Imokilly were the opponents, however, a remarkable scoring spree by Alan Browne, who captured 3-8, helped the Rockies to a 4-8 to 2-7 victory.
The game turned into a rout as Cork won easily by 2-10 to 1-2, giving Coughlan, who came on, an All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship medal.
He was an unused substitute throughout the entire campaign, as Cork claimed the Munster title before losing to Kilkenny by 1-14 to 1-11 in the All-Ireland decider.