Frenchman Didier Digard was appointed head coach of Lens on Friday, just two weeks after being sacked by Ligue 1 strugglers Le Havre.
The 40-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain and Middlesbrough midfielder has signed a two-year deal until 2028, the club confirmed.
"As a coach Didier Digard has demonstrated his ability to unite people, help squads develop, and achieve results in complex situations," Lens said in a statement.
Digard will lead his first training session with his new club on Saturday. Lens, who are 11th in Ligue 1, next host Toulouse on November 21.
On Friday, Lens said that the club had held discussions throughout the week with "various candidates".
Pierre Sage, who coached Lens last season and left Crystal Palace this week, was reported to have been among those under consideration.
Digard took over as Le Havre coach in 2024, following a stint in charge of Nice.
He kept the Normandy team in the top flight over his two seasons despite limited resources, but was sacked at the end of October, with the club bottom of Ligue 1.
At Lens, he faces a daunting task to revive the fortunes of last season's runners-up in France after a crushing 9–1 Champions League defeat to Como earlier this month.
The club also fell to a fifth loss in 10 games in Ligue 1 against Marseille last Sunday.
That defeat cost Yannick Cahuzac his job less than two months after he stepped up to replace former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmoeller in September. Toppmoeller had lasted just six games in charge.
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