Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote didn’t hide their emotions. The two addressed Friday’s departures of Marshall Harris and Mike Mulligan live on Monday’s Rahimi & Grote program on 104.3 The Score.
What We Know: Friday, 104.3 The Score decided to move on from Mike Mulligan in morning drive and Marshall Harris in middays. Mulligan exits after 23 years, including 18 seasons in morning drive alongside David Haugh since 2018. Harris departs after joining full-time in 2024, most recently sharing middays with Rahimi and Grote. Both hosted full shows Friday before the news broke. Meanwhile, Rahimi and Grote continue the 10 a.m.-to-2 p.m. slot, now billed simply as Rahimi & Grote. They opened their Monday program to reflect on their feelings about the news for the first time.
What They Said: (all quotes via 104.3 The Score):
Leila Rahimi on losing Marshall Harris: “I know this is a hard day. Marshall is always going to succeed and do great. I know that for sure. If there’s one thing I’ve known about him over that time and before, he is a man of many talents and abilities. I know that he’s missed today and will be missed on these airwaves.”
Mark Grote on the emotions of losing Marshall Harris: “It really does suck. I’m gonna miss Marshall Harris. I’m gonna miss working with Marshall Harris on this show. The Rahimi Harris and Grote show, as it was, and no longer is. Marshall Harris is a super talented guy, one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”
Leila Rahimi on Mike Mulligan: “The thing that strikes me about Mully is not just how well-read he was when it came to show preparation, but how well-read he is as a person. The conversations that I got into with Mike in breaks were not never really about sports. Only occasionally, where something would be very fired up. It was more about just his observations as just a brilliant man, which is how I feel he truly is. I’m grateful to have worked with him.”
Mark Grote on Mike Mulligan: “Mike Mulligan is quite simply one of the most successful sports talk show hosts that this station or this town has ever had. Holding down mornings as long as he was is a tremendous feat to have won ratings as often as Mike Mulligan did. Whether it was Mully and [Brian] Hanley back in the day, or with obviously with David Haugh. All of these years, the Mully and Haugh show, The dude he is quite simply one of the best of all time.”
Leila Rahimi on the power of The Score brand: “After all the versions that we’ve gone through on shows on The Score, and I’ve been here now in a host capacity for six years. The Score listener doesn’t go anywhere. You’re the ones we thank. Because you are with us. We come and go, but you haven’t, and we thank you for that. Especially on a day like today.”
What Remains Unclear: The identity of Haugh’s new morning partner remains unknown with an announcement coming Monday afternoon.
What It Means: The tributes show how deeply Mulligan and Harris shaped the Score’s identity. For Rahimi and Grote, however, the show must go on almost immediately. Their emotional candor on-air also signals a station culture built on loyalty, not just ratings. Given the affection they showed today, listener goodwill toward the new lineup seems likely to carry over.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.