Coughlan was dropped from the Cork senior football team for the 1966 Munster Championship, but returned as captain of the team the following year while he was also a substitute with the Cork senior hurling team. On 16 July 1967, he won his first Munster Championship medal after captaining the team from centre-back in an 0-08 to 0-07 defeat of Kerry in the final. On 24 September 1967, Coughlan captained Cork to an All-Ireland final appearance against Meath. He ended the game on the losing side following a 1-09 to 0-9 defeat.