The number of nontraditional students in colleges in the United States has been and is continuing to rise, but these students face difficulties that affect their motivation to persist towards graduation. Some of these difficulties include balancing multiple roles, including work, school and family demands, lack of support, financial constraints, and lack of confidence. Higher education institutions often address these difficulties with the same or similar support traditional students receive. However, because nontraditional students face unique issues, an approach tailored to their needs may be more effective. Coaching is a supportive approach that can help nontraditional students thrive and overcome difficulties. This qualitative observational case study utilized a participatory action research approach to explore the effects of coaching on the motivation of five nontraditional students in a large, urban university in the US northeast. Three research questions guided the study: (1) How motivated were participants to attend college classes? (2) How did difficulties affect the motivation of the participants? and (3) How did coaching affect the motivation of the participants? The study's findings showed: (1) Participants displayed moderate to high motivation to attend classes. Both internal and external factors influenced their motivation, with internal factors slightly more evident; (2) Difficulties experienced by participants negatively affected their motivation by causing burnout, stress, and frustration; and (3) Coaching interventions positively affected the participant's motivation by providing support and helpful tools. The findings of this study apply to higher education institutions, especially large urban colleges. Colleges can incorporate coaching into the support services for nontraditional students to create long-lasting change and a positive impact on retention.