[2] Coad was educated at De La Salle school in Stephen Street in Waterford and first distinguished himself as a sportsman playing hurling and table tennis.
He also began to play football with Corinthians, a local junior club based in Lower Yellow Road area of Waterford.
He then moved to Irish Football League club Glenavon but returned to Waterford after the start of the Second World War.
He was a member of the Waterford team that finished as a runners up to Cork United in both the League of Ireland and the FAI Cup.
Waterford could have won the league title, but their players refused to turn up for a play-off game against Cork after a dispute over bonus payments.
Coad signed for Shamrock Rovers in 1942 and made his debut against Brideville in the FAI Cup on 8 February.
In November 1949, after the untimely death of Jimmy Dunne, Coad reluctantly accepted the position of player manager.
He brought in many young players, including Liam Tuohy, and the team became known as Coad's Colts.
Amazingly, both Gary and Nigel became only the third set of second generation brothers to play together for Waterford, following Paddy and Seamus, the Hales and Fitzgeralds.