Chargers, Jim Harbaugh reportedly tab Ravens’ Joe Hortiz as GM

Even as he returns to the NFL, Jim Harbaugh is continuing to poach talent from his brother’s Ravens.

The Chargers have finalized a deal to make Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz as their next general manager, ESPN reported Tuesday.

Hortiz has spent his entire NFL career with the Ravens. The 48-year-old has worked his way up the chain over his 26 years in Baltimore, moving from personnel assistant to holding various scouting roles before becoming the director of player personnel in 2019.

In his time with the Ravens, Hortiz has been a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams. More recently, he’s helped build one of the best rosters in the NFL. The Ravens have made the playoffs in all but one of the five seasons that Hortiz has been their director of player personnel. Working under Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, some of the notable moves Hortiz has made over the last five seasons include extending Lamar Jackson, trading for Roquan Smith, and drafting standouts Kyle Hamilton, Patrick Queen, Justin Madubuike and Zay Flowers.

All of those moves helped the Ravens go 13-4 in the 2023 regular season, the best mark in the league. They made it to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2012 season, but fell to the Chiefs on Sunday.

Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan, accepts Los Angeles Chargers HC gig

Two days later, Hortiz has agreed to a deal that will send him West, leaving John Harbaugh for Jim Harbaugh. The latter agreed to a deal to become the Chargers’ head coach last week, joining Los Angeles after nine seasons at Michigan.

The decision by the Chargers to hire Harbaugh prior to hiring a general manager allowed them to find someone their new head coach can work with. Harbaugh’s tenure ended with the 49ers after four seasons despite three NFC title game appearances due to his poor relationship with general manager Trent Baalke.

Harbaugh’s most notable coaching moves in his final few seasons at Michigan included tabbing a pair of coaches from his brother’s Ravens staff. He hired Mike Macdonald to be its defensive coordinator before he went back to Baltimore to become its defensive coordinator in 2022. Harbaugh hired former Ravens assistant Jesse Minter to replace Macdonald at Michigan, holding one of the nation’s best defenses the last couple of seasons. Minter has been speculated to join Harbaugh in Los Angeles.

Hortiz replaces Tom Telesco, who was the Chargers’ general manager for 11 seasons before he was fired alongside head coach Joe Staley late in the 2023 season. The team made the playoffs just three times in Telesco’s tenure as general manager.

The Chargers will officially introduce Harbaugh as their next head coach on Thursday.