He received a Juris Doctor in 1984 from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

He began his legal career as an associate at the law firm of Cummings and Smith, where he was employed from 1984 to 1986.

Coggins also served as a member of the South Carolina Commission on Lawyer Conduct, a position he held from 2003 to 2017.

On August 3, 2017, President Donald Trump renominated Coggins to the same seat.

[7] On November 16, 2017, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 96–1 vote.