A vehicle includes an engine and a transmission, the latter of which includes a controller which executes an adaptive speed-based control method. The transmission includes gear sets each having multiple nodes, an input member continuously connected to the engine and to one of the gear sets, and a binary clutch assembly connected to the same gear set as the input member. The controller is programmed to detect a requested transmission shift into an engine braking state while the vehicle is coasting. The controller also commands an increase in engine speed to a target engine speed in response to the requested shift, and applied the binary clutch assembly when the engine output speed reaches the target engine speed. The controller calculates slip across the binary clutch assembly and adjusts the target engine speed as needed over time until the target slip is achieved at the target engine speed.