Coca-Cola didn't invent Santa as a character. This IS fact. (Saw the Wikipedia-Article?) Coca-Cola picked up an already existing mythological figure that has MANY varitions in many countries and enthnics. The dutch is one of them, but also the swiss "Samichalus" the french "père noël" the German "Weihnachtsmann" and so on. They all go back to various mythological roots which are for one the said bishop of Myra but also older pagan beliefs.
Coca-Cola, by picking up the Myth helped probably to esthalish the image that is most common in the US now. It is just an onther variation.
my history proff that told me that, he know's a lot, and hes funny.
If he's funny he probably just made a joke, assuming that you all know the thruth. If he would pretend seriously that Santa is an invention of Coca-Cola it would be a heavy case of wrong teaching.