Oran Kearney has been named Manager of the Month for January by the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association.
The Coleraine boss enjoyed a 100% record last month, claiming wins over Carrick Rangers, Dungannon Swifts, Larne and Crusaders.
The 12-point haul has put them within touching distance of the top three.
“We’ve enjoyed a fantastic run of form in recent weeks after a sluggish start to the season," Kearney said.
“I always believed that we would rediscover our form because we have a capable squad. In October and November, we struggled with red cards and injuries.
"We endured a couple of tough weeks as a result of that.
“I’m proud of the boys because they’ve got us out of that lull and put together a great run of results. They deserve the credit for this award, as it was their hard work that turned things around.”
Coleraine are currently on a seven-game unbeaten run, including six wins and Tuesday's 2-2 draw against Cliftonville.
That impressive streak followed four defeats on the bounce.
It has forced the Bannsiders back into title contention during a Covid-hit season, but Kearney isn't getting carried away.
“It’s hard to make predictions or set targets for this season because we could have another 23 league games to play, or we could play far fewer than that depending on outside factors," he added.
“It looks like we will be playing Saturday-Tuesday for the foreseeable future, which is a real challenge for all the clubs.
"I’ve certainly had to rotate my team more than normal. All we can do is try and get as many points on the board as possible and see where that takes us.”
