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 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.