He played hurling with his local club Blackrock and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1891 until 1892.
Coughlan's grandnephew continued the hurling tradition by winning a county title with Blackrock in 1961.
[citation needed] Coughlan was on the team again in 1892 and he lined out in his first provincial decider with Kerry providing the opposition.
The game was a controversial one as referee Dan Fraher changed his mind after initially awarding Michael Brassil a goal to Cork.
He was badly affected by a training ground incident when, while preparing for a Cork match, he accidentally hit another great player while both were pulling on a dropping ball.