As a senior at Stanford, while studying full-time in California, Coyle finished in 12th place at the World Short Track Speedskating Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands. After graduation he focused on speedskating full-time for the next four years. Before the 1994 Winter Olympic Games, Coyle's best international short-track finish was a bronze medal at the 1993 World Winter University Games in the relay. The following year, as a member of the American relay team, Coyle won the silver medal in the 5000-meter relay competition in the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. In 1995, Coyle set US records at the US trials in the 444m time trial, the 1000m time trial, the 500m, and the 1000m and unofficially skated a second under the world record in the 1000m.