Fred Toucher’s New 98.5 The Sports Hub Co-Host Officially Revealed

A new morning drive tandem is coming to 98.5 The Sports Hub at the turn of the new year.

The network on Tuesday morning revealed Rob “Hardy” Poole as Fred Toucher’s new co-host for the weekday radio show. “Toucher & Hardy” will air from 6 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. on Monday through Friday beginning Jan. 4.

The announcement was made a little over a month after the popular “Toucher & Rich” show reached its conclusion. Rich Shertenleib, Toucher’s co-host since 2009, did not re-sign with the Beasley Media Group network and thus created an open chair. At the same time as the end-of-show announcement, Shertenleib revealed it wasn’t his plan to leave the program and the network at the time of the breakup but indicated his intention to reveal next steps “in the near future.”

Poole, a member of 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” midday show for the past eight years, was long viewed as the favorite to replace Shertenleib.

“As a lifelong radio guy, I’m thrilled for this opportunity,” Hardy said, per the network’s release. “I’m looking forward to working with Fred and the rest of the morning show crew on what I believe will be a great show.”

Beasley Media Group vice president Mary Menna viewed Poole as the “perfect candidate” for the role, while station program director Rick Radzik thought it was a “natural fit” to pair “Hardy” with Toucher.