He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies and won an Olympic bronze medal as a member of the United States national team in 1988.

[2] As a shortstop and outfielder, Coles claimed to be selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1986 Major League Baseball draft.

He was a member of the United States national basketball team which won a bronze medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

After Coles' first of two stints with the Miami Heat, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors, and also played with the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics.

[7] Until 2021, Coles coached at his alma mater of Greenbrier East High School in Lewisburg, West Virginia.