Hong Yuanshou, coach of Beijing Guo'an

The veteran coach took charge of a faltering Beijing Guo'an side after the firing of South Korean coach Lee Jang-soo in round 23 and lifted it to the Chinese Super League (CSL) title, the team's first.

The crown was clinched on October 31 when, in front of a packed crowd at the Workers' Stadium, Beijing beat relegation-bound Hangzhou Greentown 4-0 to finish atop the table with 51 points, one more than Changchun Yatai.

The season's climax was capped by a hat-trick from Honduran forward Emil Martinez, which included two well-struck, long-range shots, and a 76th minute penalty from Zhou Ting.