A NEW BEGINNING

Could new hires signal the end of `Chargering'? Just hold that thought New Chargers GM Hortiz wants to build bigger, stronger, tougher team

COSTA MESA >> It will be fascinating to see how history remembers the Chargers' past week or so.

Will NFL historians look back and marvel at what was, in fact, the beginning of the end of Chargering?

Will the kids in the team's fandom teach their future children that it was the hiring of coach Jim Harbaugh and then general manager Joe Hortiz that ushered in a happier era, winning to match the vibes at their introductory news conferences?

Because, from the here and now, with the Chargers replacing Brandon Staley with Harbaugh and Tom Telesco with Hortiz, the team looks the part of a can't-miss prospect. It looks like a five-tool prospect, a five-star recruit;

Rams defensive coordinator Shula says players will be his North Star.

COSTA MESA >> The first thing to know about Joe Hortiz, the Chargers' new general manager, is that he's a Philadelphia guy, a Delaware guy, a Baltimore guy. He has the no-nonsense sensibilities of the old industrial Northeast, with all the stereotypical passion and stubbornness that implies.

The second thing to know about him is that he's a family guy, a football guy, a team guy. He started his career at the absolute bottom of the NFL's food chain, rising through the ranks for 26 years, from personnel assistant to regional scout, to national scout, to director of player personnel.

So, why leave the Baltimore Ravens for the Chargers? Why leave behind all he had accomplished over 26 years with the Ravens for a new job with the Chargers? Why leave all he knew and all the

Inside:

MARK RIGHTMIRE — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER New Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said he believes in the team's commitment to winning. “You feel it, and you know it's true,” he said.

MARK RIGHTMORE — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh enjoys a laugh at Tuesday's news conference in Costa Mesa.