Archbishop Coakley grew up in Louisiana and Kansas. He went to the University of Kansas and received a B.A. in English and Classical Antiquities. After completing University studies he traveled in Europe and briefly considered a monastic vocation.

Archbishop Coakley attended seminary at Mount Saint Mary in Emmitsburg, Maryland where he received his Master of Divinity and he holds an STL in Christian Spirituality from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was ordained to the Priesthood in the Diocese of Wichita in 1983, ordained a Bishop for the Salina diocese in 2004, and installed as the Archbishop of Oklahoma City in 2011.

He serves as an advisor on many boards including Catholic Relief Services and the Augustine Institute.