Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he’s had “some difficult conversations” after photos emerged of himself and former Athletic reporter Dianni Russini holding hands.
Subscribe to read this story ad-free
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
At a press conference Tuesday, Vrabel thanked the media for the “patience that you’ve shown in a personal and private matter,” and said he was waiting to address the matter until he was able to speak with the Patriots players, which he said he did on Monday.
Vrabel said he has “had some difficult conversations with people that I care about, with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players,” which he said “have been positive and productive.”
He did not disclose details of those conversations and said comments shared with the team and and questions posed by the team will be kept private.
“We believe in order to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions — that includes me. That starts with me,” Vrabel continued. “We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of distraction.”
Page Six published photos of Vrabel and Russini on April 7 that depicted the pair spending time together at a luxury hotel in Arizona, including two photo showing their hands intertwined as they stood on a rooftop. Other photos show them in a hot tub together.
Both Vrabel and Russini are married to other people.
On April 8, Russini said the photos were taken out of context, and Athletic Executive Editor Steven Ginsberg came to her defense. She added that the photos did not accurately represent the group of six people who were there that day.
But a week after the photos were published, on April 14, Russini resigned from The Athletic, ending her contract early. At the time, she said in a letter to Ginsberg that she appreciated the company’s support, but that the media frenzy around the photos was outpacing the review the company was trying to complete into the matter.
“Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30,” Russini wrote in the letter. “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.”
Vrabel has denied allegations of impropriety. He did not directly address the photos or deny the rumors on Tuesday, but spoke around it by placing focus on the upcoming NFL draft and his team.
“I also don’t want to take away from … the weekend of the draft. This is an important time for us, our organization,” Vrabel said Tuesday, noting that players who are selected to join the New England-based team should feel joy and excitement while being welcomed onto the team, and not be wrapped up in a scandal.
Vrabel stepped in as head coach for the Patriots last year, replacing Jerod Mayo, who served in the role for one year after replacing longtime coach Bill Belichick.
“I care deeply about this football team and I’m excited to coach them. I also know that I’m gonna attack each day with humility and focus,” Vrabel said. “And what I can promise you is that my family, this organization, the team, the staff, the coaches, everybody, our fans — most importantly — will get the best version of me going forward.”
Vrabel concluded: “That’s what I know, and I’m excited to do that, but I wanted to just address this, and thank you for your patience in dealing with a private and personal matter.”