Career
Club career
Köhler began his playing career in the Football Club Karl-Marx-Stadt team of the late-1980s, reaching the East German Cup final in 1989 and finishing as league runners-up the following year. After German reunification, Köhler remained with the club, now called Chemnitzer Football Club, and played for four and a half seasons in the 2. Bundesliga, before leaving to join Erzgebirge Aue during the 1995-1996 season.
After half a year, Köhler returned to Chemnitz, who had been relegated to the Regionalliga Nordost, where he remained for another five years, the third of which ended in promotion back to the second tier.
International career
Coaching career
In 2001, Köhler joined Dynamo Dresden to serve as assistant manager to Christoph Franke, who had coached him at Chemnitz. He made two appearances for the club, but remained as assistant coach until Franke was dismissed in 2005, after earning two promotions to lift the club from the NOFV-Oberliga to the 2.
Bundesliga. After Franke"s departure, Köhler served as interim head coach and remained at Dynamo as coach of the under-19 team, before leaving to manage Hallescher Football Club in 2007.
In the 2011-2012 season, Köhler guided Halle to the Regionalliga Nord title, and promotion to the 3. Liga, after a three-way promotion battle with Holstein Kiel and RB Leipzig.
He was sacked on 30 August 2015. He was appointed as the head coach of Chemnitzer Football Club on 2 March 2016.
= Coaching record As of 24 February 2014.