At inter-county level, Coughlan was part of the successful Cork junior football team that won the All-Ireland Championship in 1964 before later winning the All-Ireland Championship with the Cork under-21 hurling team in 1966. He joined the Cork senior football team in 1965 before linking up with the Cork senior hurling team in 1968. From his debut, Coughlan was ever-present as a midfielder or left wing-back and made a combined total of 53 Championship appearances across both codes in a career that ended with his last game for the Cork hurling team in 1980. During that time he was part of five All-Ireland Championship-winning teams – four as a hurler and one as a Gaelic footballer. Coughlan also secured a combined total of 10 Munster Championship medals and three National Hurling League medals.