Coburn was a Starfleet rear admiral in the 2370s.

In early 2374, Captain Benjamin Sisko presented Coburn and Admiral Sitak with his plan to retake Deep Space 9. Coburn had concerns that the Dominion would not commit a large force to stop them, but instead would take the opportunity to launch an attack on Earth. Sisko convinced him that the Dominion would not attack Earth, as the Bajoran wormhole was the key to the Alpha Quadrant. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")