[1] Köhler began his playing career in the FC Karl-Marx-Stadt team of the late-1980s, reaching the East German Cup final in 1989 and finishing as league runners-up the following year.

After German reunification, Köhler remained with the club, now called Chemnitzer FC, and played for four and a half seasons in the 2.

[4] He made his debut as a substitute for Heiko Scholz in a 4–0 friendly win over Egypt, and also played in a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the USSR, a match which East Germany lost 3–0.

In 2001, Köhler joined Dynamo Dresden to serve as assistant manager to Christoph Franke, who had coached him at Chemnitz.

The club won the NOFV-Oberliga Süd, and direct promotion to the Regionalliga Nord, in his first season in charge.