[1] Born in Mitchelstown, County Cork, Coughlan first played competitive football in his youth.
He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the Cork minor team, before later joining the under-21 and junior sides.
[2] He made his senior debut during the 1962 championship and was a regular member of the starting fifteen for a brief period.
At club level Coughlan won numerous championship medals with Mitchelstown.
Throughout his career Coughlan played just five championship games for Cork.