The visitors enjoyed most of the possession but failed to break City's resolve and at the other end a scruffy effort from James Scowcroft and an own goal from Joleon Lescott handed Micky Adams' team the points.
The home team made a terrific start and fired in the first shot after only 15 seconds when Gary McSheffrey turned on the edge of the area but fired over.
Kenny Miller was lively in attack for the visitors and when he twisted and turned inside the Coventry box, Richard Duffy had to concede a corner.
The Sky Blues edged in front after seven minutes. Dele Adebola latched onto a flick from James Scowcroft but saw his shot well saved by Stefan Postma.
The ball rebounded back to Scowcroft and his shot finally found the back of the net after a couple of deflections on the way in.
But after taking the lead, Coventry conceded the momentum to Glenn Hoddle's side and it was all Wolves for half an hour.
Miller and Colin Cameron looked threatening as the visitors had Coventry chasing shadows with their crisp passing and clever movement.
But, that said, Coventry keeper Marton Fulop was rarely troubled. Veteran centre-back Richard Shaw made a hat-trick of blocks on the edge of the box to deny Miller, Cameron and Mark Kennedy.
Cameron almost drew the visitors level but was inches wide from 20 yards before Miller finally forced a good save from Fulop, who parried the Scotsman's effort wide.
And then, against the run of play, Coventry doubled their lead. McSheffrey whipped a corner to the back post where Marcus Hall headed back across goal.
Just as Postma was about to catch, Lescott sliced the ball away from the keeper and into the back of his own goal.
Coventry could have had a third when McSheffrey blasted a shot over the top from a tight angle, before Kennedy finally put the ball in the net for Wolves only to see an offside flag raised.
The second half started at a snail's pace as Coventry looked content with their two-goal lead and Wolves struggled to break them down.
Rob Edwards blasted a shot wide from the edge of the box on 48 minutes and then Tom Huddlestone curled wide from 20 yards.
Coventry were happy to attack on the break and McSheffrey and Stern John combined well in the 58th minute, but the former shot wide after playing a neat one-two with the latter.
Wolves dominated possession but there was no way through Coventry's solid rearguard, which was superbly led by Shaw.
Leon Clark volleyed over and Gabor Gyepes saw an effort blocked by Fulop as the hosts continued to frustrate Wolves.
Miller was determined to get something out of the game for Wolves but he cracked over from 25 yards after a surging run with ten minutes to go. And he did exactly the same from 12 yards three minutes later.