Having myself compared the benefits of peat versus coconut coir, would like to offer the following in light of the references Henry made:

1) Be very careful here! Peat is a non-sterile medium harvested from the ground that can contain soil-borne pathogens. (by the way, Pythium and Phytophthora spp. also grow well in a hydroponic or wet environment) Coconut coir, by contrast, is made primarily of shell shavings and are generally free of soil-borne pathogens.

2) If you decide to go with coconut coir, take the data offered by Candole & Evans (2003) and the others with a grain of salt. For instance, read the entire article. Did they also autoclave the peat and use it in their tests? Did they actually inoculate the plants, or were they counting on there being naturally-occurring populations of the pathogen(s)?

In general, my own experience is that coconut coir/perlite is a good medium for anything. I point out the above because there seems to be some claims about the suppressiveness of coconut coir towards pathogens that don't quite jibe, and in my eyes appear sensationalist. Just remember to take that grain of salt with everything you hear!