New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel provided an update about his family dynamics after his alleged affair with NFL reporter Dianna Russini was exposed.
“My family is great,” Vrabel, 50, told reporters on Wednesday, May 27. “I love Jen, I love the boys.”
Vrabel has been married to his wife, Jen, since 1999 and the couple share sons Tyler, 25, and Carter, 24.
The head coach was asked on Wednesday about the “balance of family and football” amid the scandal involving former Athletic NFL insider Russini. Vrabel used most of his time at the podium to discuss the latter.
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“This spring is focused on the coaching staff, the players — more importantly than the coaching staff — but you know, just seeing the coaches in the second year, just seeing how smooth the conversations are,” Vrabel said. “‘Hey, we love this play. How do we go out and make it better?’ And then these guys they go out and they find ways to make it better.”
Vrabel — who is entering his second season as head coach in New England — was also asked about how his players have “responded to your leadership” in recent months, especially after the coach’s off-the-field escapades made headlines.
“I don’t want to speak for the players,” he acknowledged. “I feel great. I feel like I’m trying to give them the information that will help them do their job. I’ve talked about this, as far as the balance between their own success, which leads to great things for them and the people that they care about, but then also trying to manage that with the team.”
Vrabel continued, “That’s a fine balance of the dynamic that we wage in this business of professional sports. I try to do that each day.”
The scandal involving Vrabel and Russini, 43, started early last month, when Page Six published photos of the pair holding hands and caught in an embrace while spending time together at a luxury resort in Arizona.
Since then, multiple outlets have posted additional pictures and videos of Vrabel and Russini on various outings, dating back as far as March 2020.
Russini has been married to her husband, Kevin Goldschmidt, since September 2020 and the couple share two sons. She resigned from her job at The Athletic days after Page Six published the first batch of photos, but did not specifically acknowledge having a romantic relationship with Vrabel.
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Vrabel broke his silence in April to vehemently deny having an affair when the photos first surfaced, later noting in a press conference that he had “some difficult conversations with people I care about — with my family, the organization, the coaches, the players.”
Vrabel and his wife both attended counseling later that month, which caused the head coach to be away from the Patriots on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
“I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them. In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend,” Vrabel said in a statement at the time. “This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.”
The statement continued, “I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support that everyone has given me and promise a stronger resolve as a result.”
