 At RC Lens, Gillot was promoted to the team's manager after Joël Müller resigned on January 24, 2005, and for the remainder of the season he guided the club to a seventh-place finish.In his first full season Gillot would impress the fans with his outspokenness, confidence towards youth and offensive play that saw the team move up to fourth and qualification for the 2006–07 UEFA Cup.This saw a growing expectation from the fans that the club could achieve more, however the club finished fifth and a point away from qualification for the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League.