Coffey was a defensive line coach for Tennessee, his alma mater, and the defensive coordinator for Frank Broyles at Arkansas before becoming the Hokies’ coach. According to the Roanoke Times “Coffey spent and spent. It is easy to knock Coffey but when he went to Tech it was a picture of backwoods football. Regardless of the record, it is backwoods no more.” His resignation shocked the administration and Coffey’s staff, wrote the Roanoke times. “He was before his time in terms of some of the stuff he did, kind of getting the excitement back in Lane Stadium”- Mike Burnop. He left Tech at age 39 and never coached again.