New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and The Athletic’s senior NFL reporter Dianna Russini are pushing back against speculation after photos published by Page Six of the New York Post showed the two together at a luxury adults-only resort in Sedona, Arizona, last month.
The images, taken March 28 at the Ambiente resort, depict Mr. Vrabel, 50, and Ms. Russini, 43, both married to other people, hugging and holding hands on the rooftop of a bungalow, lounging poolside and sitting together in a hot tub. According to Page Six, the pair shared breakfast on the hotel terrace before spending roughly 90 minutes at the pool that Saturday morning.
Mr. Vrabel dismissed any insinuation of impropriety in a statement to the Post. “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable,” he said. “This doesn’t deserve any further response.”
Ms. Russini similarly contested the narrative, saying the images tell only a partial story. “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day,” she said. “Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
The Athletic’s executive editor, Steven Ginsberg, also backed his reporter, telling the Post the photos were “misleading and lack essential context,” adding that the interactions took place publicly and in view of other people. “Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at The Athletic,” Mr. Ginsberg said.
A source close to Ms. Russini told Page Six she was at the Ambiente for a hiking trip and stayed at the hotel with two female friends. A source associated with Mr. Vrabel said he drove to Sedona for the day with a friend before returning to separate accommodations. Eyewitnesses cited by Page Six, however, said they did not observe any other companions when the pair were together.
Mr. Vrabel had attended a scouting event at Arizona State University on March 27 before arriving at the Ambiente the following day. Both were later present at the annual NFL league meetings, held March 29-31 in Phoenix.
The two have a long professional history. Ms. Russini covered Mr. Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans teams during his six-season tenure there beginning in 2018 while she was at ESPN, and the relationship has continued since she joined The Athletic as a senior NFL insider in 2023, where she also hosts the “Scoop City: Inside the NFL” podcast.
Mr. Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999; they have two adult sons, Tyler and Carter. Ms. Russini has been married to Shake Shack executive Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020 and the couple have two young children.
Mr. Vrabel is entering his second season (2026) as New England’s head coach. He led the Patriots to a 14-3 record last season, a Super Bowl LX appearance — a loss to the Seattle Seahawks — and both the AP and PFWA Coach of the Year honors.
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