Still had previous spells in charge of Stade de Reims and Lens Cameron Smith/Getty ImagesJune 12, 2026 8:48 am EDT Updated Will Still has been appointed the new head coach of Ligue 1 side Auxerre.Still, 33, returns to France’s top-flight where he had previous spells in charge of Stade de Reims and Lens. He began the 2025-26 season as Southampton’s head coach in the Championship, but was sacked in November after only winning four of his 16 matches.Auxerre said in a statement that Still’s “energy, high standards and top-level experience perfectly match the club’s ambition”.Club president and CEO Baptiste Malherbe said: “On behalf of everyone at AJ Auxerre, I welcome Will Still and wish him every success in the club’s project. All of AJA’s forces will be united behind him so that he succeeds in his mission and continues the club’s sporting progress.”Still rose to prominence when he guided Reims to an 11th-placed Ligue 1 finish in the 2022-23 campaign, aided by a 17-match unbeaten run. He gained widespread attention on social media when it came to light that the club had to pay a £22,000 fine each time he managed a game because he did not hold a UEFA Pro Licence. He became the youngest manager in the top five European leagues at 30 years old, a record which has since been beaten by Parma boss Carlos Cuesta — appointed at 29.Still has previously spoken about his desire to manage West Ham, and was interviewed for the Sunderland job in 2023 before the club opted to appoint Michael Beale.He guided Lens to an eighth-placed Ligue 1 finish in 2024-25 before leaving the club to move to the UK for the Southampton role. He now takes over an Auxerre side which finished 15th in the 2025-26 campaign.Tonda Eckert succeeded Still at Southampton and guided them to a fourth-placed finish and the FA Cup semi-final. Eckert’s team beat Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate in the play-off semi-final, but they were expelled from the Wembley final after the club admitted to spying on Boro and other clubs’ training sessions.