Ohio native Mike Vrabel in public eye as writer Dianna Russini resigns

NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigned from her position at The Athletic on April 14, exactly one week after pictures of her with New England Patriots head coach and Ohio native Mike Vrabel at a posh Arizona resort were published by the New York Post.

"These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable," Vrabel told the Post, which published the photos, in a statement last week. "This doesn’t deserve any further response."

Mike Vrabel's connections to Ohio amid Russini rumors

Ohio State's Mike Vrabel, right, blocks a punt by Purdue's Rob Deignan on Oct. 21, 1995.

Before Vrabel became the head coach of the New England Patriots, he grew up in the state and starred at Ohio State Buckeyes after graduating from Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls.

From 1993–96, Vrabel was one of the most successful defensive ends in college football, according to a story by the Columbus Dispatch. Vrabel was named the Big Ten's Defensive Lineman of the Year as both a junior and senior.

After playing for the Buckeyes, Vrabel was selected in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and later played for the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, winning three Super Bowl titles with the Patriots.

Vrabel retired from the NFL in 2010 and began his coaching career the following year. He was an assistant at Ohio State until moving on to become an assistant with the NFL's Houston Texans in 2014. Vrabel was the Tennessee Titans head coach from 2018–2023 and a consultant for the Cleveland Browns in 2024 before taking over the Patriots head coaching job. Vrabel led New England to a Super Bowl berth in his first season as coach.

More on Dianna Russini's resignation after photos with Vrabel surface

Russini's resignation letter to The Athletic's executive editor, Steven Ginsberg, which she shared on social media, reads in part: “I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published. When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful.

"In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts. Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept. Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, confirmed Saturday that Russini's conduct was being investigated, saying "The Athletic’s editorial guidelines require that their journalists avoid any activities that pose a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict, so as not to call into question their credibility."

The photos, published by The Post on April 7, show Vrabel and Russini in bathing suits poolside as well as hugging on a rooftop at the Ambiente in Sedona, Arizona, days before the NFL's annual league meeting in Phoenix. Both Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, are married to other people with whom they have children.

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The day after the pictures emerged, Ginsberg did weigh in with a statement of support as well.

"These photos are misleading and lack essential context," he said at the time. "These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic."

However in a letter sent to staffers of The Athletic on Tuesday following Russini's resignation, Ginsberg expressed that new issues had arisen during the course of the investigation into her conduct, writing in part: "While I can't share the details of our investigation into Dianna's conduct, I want to emphasize that the leadership of The Athletic has taken this matter seriously from the moment that we learned about it. ... When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns, but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter. As additional information emerged, new questions were raised that became part of our investigation."

Russini, who previously covered the NFL in the Washington D.C. area for the local NBC affiliate (WRC) and worked for ESPN before joining The Athletic in 2023, covered Vrabel while he was the coach of the Tennessee Titans. Despite Ginsberg's initial support, her conduct later came under scrutiny within the organization.

Is Mike Vrabel facing any discipline with the Patriots?

It doesn't seem so.

Pats vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf conducted the team's pre-draft press conference April 13 − Vrabel did so in 2025 but was never scheduled to handle it this year − and was only presented with one question that even vaguely touched on the coach's dynamic with Russini.

Asked how much Vrabel had been immersed in draft preparation over the past week, Wolf replied: "Very involved. Business as usual. He’s been in there with us a little more than he was last year."

Vrabel has not addressed reporters since making his initial statement the day after the photos with Russini emerged. He is expected to speak at some point during the upcoming NFL draft, which will occur from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

USA TODAY Sports reached out to the Patriots seeking further comment. Aside from Wolf's statement, the team has not made any public acknowledgement of the pictures with Vrabel and Russini nor whether the coach has violated organizational standards of conduct in any way.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Writer Russini resigns over pics with Ohio native, NFL coach Mike Vrabel