A lecturer in behavioural sciences at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, he has also served on the boards of Galway Airport and of the Great Southern Hotels Group.
However he succeeded at the November 1982 general election, giving Fine Gael a rare second seat in Galway West.
[7] At the 1999 local elections he was not selected as a candidate by his local party, was imposed by the party's national executive, and held his council seat with a majority of just two votes over his Progressive Democrats opponent, fish wholesaler Gary Creaven.
The recounts extended over two nights, and when his victory was confirmed Coogan said "On the third day, he rose again", prompting The Irish Times to write an article about him under the headline "City's Lazarus claims resurrection status as he defeats provider of fish".
[8] In a January 2008 comparison of the council elected in 2004 with its predecessor, the local Galway Advertiser newspaper gave Coogan a rating of 5 out of 10, noting that "at times he made good contributions but frequently appeared uninterested".