OWINGS MILLS — Joe Hortiz is going to work with a different Harbaugh.
Hortiz has worked closely with Ravens coach John Harbaugh as the team’s director of player personnel. Now, Hortiz will join Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, in Los Angeles as the Chargers’ general manager.
Jim Harbaugh was hired as the Chargers’ coach last week after coaching eight years at Michigan, where he won the College Football Playoff National Championship this past season.
Hortiz has been with the Ravens for the past 26 years and has worked with former general manager Ozzie Newsome and current GM Eric DeCosta.
“When you’ve had the privilege of working with one organization your entire career, something that’s exceedingly rare in our business, the opportunity and fit has to pretty much be perfect to consider a change,” Hortiz said in a statement. “This is that opportunity.”
Hortiz joined the Ravens as a personnel assistant in 1998, became a scout in 2001 and was promoted to director of college recruiting in 2009. He held that position for a decade before becoming director of player personnel in 2019.
During Hortiz’s tenure in Baltimore, the Ravens won two Super Bowls, appeared in five AFC championship games, won seven AFC North division titles, and made 15 playoff appearances.
“Joe is one of the most respected player evaluators and personnel minds in the league whose contributions to the Ravens front office over the past two decades cannot be overstated,” Chargers president John Spanos said in a statement. “… It’s hard not to be excited about the future.”
Hortiz and DeCosta are graduates of the Ravens’ so-called “20/20 Club,” which includes members of the personnel staff who started with the team as young assistants and grew into evaluators with more input.
The Chargers went 5-12 last season and fired coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco after a historic 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on December 14th. The Chargers do have a number of talented players, including quarterback Justin Herbert, safety Derwin James, tackle Rashawn Slater and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
This story has been updated.