He has appeared as a panellist on Irish broadcaster RTÉ and released his autobiography, Chairman of the Boards, Master of the Mile, in 2008.

The famous running coach James 'Jumbo' Elliott invited Coghlan to train for the Villanova track and field team.

One week later, on 17 May, he broke the long-standing European Outdoor Mile record of Michel Jazy, in a time of 3:53.3 in Kingston, Jamaica.

He graduated from Villanova University, Pennsylvania, USA in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Communications.

His youngest son, John, is one of Ireland's leading athletes who won a team gold medal in the European Cross Country Championships in Portugal in 2010.

His eldest son, Eamonn, is a golf professional at Hearthstone Country Club, Houston, Texas.

Coghlan's 1983 time was the fastest mile ever run in the United States until 10 June 2007, when Daniel Kipchirchir Komen ran 3:48.28 outdoors in Eugene, Oregon.

Coghlan won the world-famous Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in NYC's Madison Square Garden a record seven times (1977, 1979–81, 1983, 1985, 1987) his last win being at the age of 34.

Thus he lost valuable energy which he would have needed in the home straight's struggle against Walker, Belgium's Ivo van Damme and West Germany's Paul-Heinz Wellman.

In any case, he led the race for only a few seconds before Ethiopia's Miruts Yifter kicked past him on the inside.

Coghlan was eliminated in the 5000-metre semi-finals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics[10] In 1985, he was a member of Ireland's four-man squad along with Marcus O'Sullivan, Frank O'Mara and Ray Flynn, which set a world record time of 15:49.08 in the 4 x mile relay, in a charity fund-raising race in Dublin.

Coghlan ran the sub-four-minute mile as a "Special Attraction" during the middle of the Massachusetts State High School Championship meet.

During an election debate on Tonight with Vincent Browne, he baffled viewers and panel members by telling a bizarre anecdote, including an impersonation, about a constituent he had met during his canvass.

[15][16][17] His campaign largely "fell flat on its face" according to a Fine Gael minister, despite the party putting significant resources into the constituency[18] He polled 3,788 first preference votes, placing fifth in the contest and being eliminated on the fourth count.