Professional experience is considered essential to enable pre-service teachers (PSTs) to implement what they have learned during their initial teacher education (ITE) program to school environments. There are multiple models of professional experience that address the issue of integrating theory and practice. This article reports on findings of the implementation of the Coaching Approach to Professional Experience (CAPE) model in an ITE program in Jambi University, Indonesia. Using qualitative focus groups, this research focuses on the perceptions of PSTs, a school principal, mentor teachers, teacher educators (lecturer) and a coach regarding the implementation of the CAPE model. The research findings indicate that the role of the coach helped PSTs as they were able to individualise and focus on developing teaching skills. However, several weaknesses were also identified. In adapting the model to Jambi University's context, the structure of the CAPE model was too general. The coach working with PSTs was not entirely free from her/his teaching duties, thus limiting the PST-coach interactions. This article discusses these findings and concludes by offering recommendations for future adaptions of the CAPE model in Indonesia and beyond.