'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Joe Hortiz has been hired as the new Los Angeles Chargers general manager. The Auburn alum will be charged with ushering in a new regime in Los Angeles that is compatible with winning and less so with bottling wins from good positions.
The long-time Baltimore Ravens staffer will join New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh as the team enters another era. The pair will be tasked with building a contender around Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback Justin Herbert.
Who is Joe Hortiz?
Joe Hortiz is an Auburn-trained football executive from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hortiz attained his bachelor's degree in accounting from Auburn before spending two more years as a graduate assistant at the institution.
It was after his time at Auburn that Hortiz began his NFL career. Hortiz joined the Baltimore Ravens as a personnel assistant in 1998.
Hortiz worked and was appointed as a professional scout in 2001. As the years passed, he kept working, earning more promotions within the scouting department. His scouting roles peaked with him getting the job as the director of college scouting in 2009.
In 2019, Joe Hortiz was hired as Baltimore's new director of player personnel under general manager Eric DeCosta. The Ravens experienced a resurgence while Hortiz held this role, and he was a regular candidate for general manager jobs elsewhere in the next couple of years.
Joe Hortiz's patience paid off on January 29, 2024, when he was employed as the Los Angeles Chargers' general manager. The news was announced by Ian Rapoport, with Hortiz replacing outgoing long-time Chargers GM Tom Telesco.
How did the Los Angeles Chargers perform in 2023?
The Los Angeles Chargers had a 2023 regular season to forget. The franchise finished the regular season with a 5-12 record, thus missing the postseason entirely.
The Chargers lost games to playoff teams, lottery franchises, and anyone. Former head coach Brandon Staley seemed to be clutching at straws at various points in the season, and Justin Herbert didn't get adequate protection from the offensive line.
Hence, it didn't come as a surprise when the Chargers' ownership elected to clean the house. In comes NCAA champion Jim Harbaugh and former Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz. Together, the pair will be tasked with reshaping the Chargers roster and making them a winning machine. They'll have their work cut out in 2024 and beyond.
