Or you could do high and stiff

I always recommend Ground Control coilovers and Koni Sport (yellows) to anyone in a situation like yours. You can order any spring rate you want, front and rear, so if you're concerned about road manners, you could get a lighter set of springs and set your ride hight relatively high. Now you wont get the best handling if you do this, but its your choice to make. I would call up Ground Control and ask them what rates would be best for your setup (my guess is they will tell you 380# front/250# rear). I have 380# front/400#rear and the ride is pretty harsh, but not nearly as bouncy as some of the cheap coilover/shock combos on the market.

When you say:

...my guess is that you rode in a friend's car that didn't have the proper shocks to match his spring rates, or he had generic junk coilovers. There's no reason a coilover has to be any bouncier than a lowering spring... it all depends on your spring rates and whether you've got the right shocks for the job.