Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
Press Clifford
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
COHERENT INC [COHR]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O OLIVER PRESS PARTNERS, INC., 152 WEST 57TH STREET
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/19/2008
(Street)

NEW YORK, NY 10019
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 03/19/2008   A   2,000 (1) A $ 0 2,000 (3) D (3)  
Common Stock               2,604,089 (2) I (2) See Footnote 2. (2)

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Nonqualified Stock Options (Right to Buy) $ 27.93 03/19/2008   A   24,000   03/18/2009(4) 03/19/2018 Common Stock 24,000 $ 0 24,000 (3) D (3)  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
Press Clifford
C/O OLIVER PRESS PARTNERS, INC.
152 WEST 57TH STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10019
  X      

Signatures

 /s/ Clifford Press   03/21/2008
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Grant of restricted stock units cliff vesting on the day prior to the issuer's 2011 annual stockholders' meeting. Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Coherent common stock.
(2) The reporting person is a director of Coherent, Inc. (the "Company"). The reporting person is also a (i) Managing Member of Oliver Press Investors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and the general partner of each of Davenport Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("Davenport"), JE Partners, a Bermuda partnership ("JE"), and Oliver Press Master Fund LP, a Cayman limited partnership ("Master Fund"; and, together with Davenport and JE, the "Partnerships"), and (ii) Managing Member of Oliver Press Partners, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and the investment advisor to each of the Partnerships. The Partnerships own certain securities of the Company, all of which are subject to the shared voting and investment authority of the reporting person, among others. The reporting person's interest in the securities reported on Table I herein is limited to the extent of his pecuniary interest in the Partnerships, if any.
(3) Upon ultimate realization of cash proceeds with respect to the 2000 restricted stock units and the 24000 nonqualified stock options, such cash proceeds may be applied as a credit against management fees payable by the Partnerships. The reporting person's interest in the securities reported on Table I and Table II herein is limited to the extent of his pecuniary interest in such securities, if any.
(4) These options become exercisable as to one-third of the common shares on each successive vest date of 3/18/2009, 3/18/2010, and 3/18/2011.

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