Mike Vrabel Will Step Away From Patriots to Focus on Wife and Kids: Coach Confirms He Is ‘Seeking Counseling’ After Dianna Russini Scandal

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has announced that he will skip the third day of the NFL Draft this weekend so that he can focus on his family and "seek counseling" after images were published of him spending time at an Arizona hotel with sports reporter Dianna Russini.

Despite previously insisting that the photos of himself and Russini—in which they were seen hugging, holding hands, and soaking in a pool together—were taken out of context, Vrabel, 50, has now confirmed to ESPN that he will take a short break from coaching the Patriots in order to undergo counseling, and spend time with his wife, Jen Vrabel, and their two sons.

"As I said the other day, 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," he told the outlet late on Wednesday.

"In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend. 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.

"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."

ESPN notes that Vrabel and his family will spend the weekend "outside of Massachusetts," where he has been based since the start of 2025, when he was named as the new head coach of the Patriots, but did not specify a location.

It is also unclear when Vrabel plans to return to the Patriots, however he noted that executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden will be leading the draft in his absence.

The news comes just hours after the father of two publicly commented on the photos of himself and Russini—who resigned from her role at The Athletic after the outlet launched an investigation into her behavior—for the first time since they were published by Page Six.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Vrabel admitted that he'd had to have "some difficult conversations with people I care about—my family, the organization, the coaches, the players."

"Those have been positive and productive," he went on. "We believe that in order to be successful on and off the field you have to make good decisions. That includes me, that starts we me. We never want our actions to negatively affect the team. We never want to be the cause of a distraction."

Vrabel has not said where he will spend the weekend—however he and his wife still own property outside of Massachusetts, in Tennessee, where he previously spent six seasons coaching the Tennessee Titans.

Shortly before joining the Patriots, Vrabel and his spouse sold their longtime Nashville-area abode for $4.8 million in October 2024, having purchased the property for $1.9 million in 2018.

The property, which is situate on 2 wooded acres, had been built in 2017, and featured six bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.

However, seven months before selling that property, he picked up another Nashville dwelling, a six-bedroom, four-bath home in Brentwood, TN, for $1.78 million, as first reported by the New York Post.

That property spans across 4,065 square feet and was built in 1970.

Vrabel's personal life has been thrust into the headlines of late after Page Six released photographs that showed the Patriots coach and Russini, 43, spending time together at the Ambiente in Sedona, where two-person bungalows cost up to $2,160.

According to the outlet, Vrabel and Russini—who has been married to Shake Shack executive, Kevin Goldschmidt, since 2020—enjoyed breakfast on the patio at 10:30am on March 28, followed by an hour spent in the hot tub.

They were also seen on the roof of the hotel, which offers sweeping views of the Red Rock formations.

According to the source, the pair even danced together at one point.

However, Russini and Vrabel have remained adamant that they are just friends and that they were actually accompanied to the hotel by several other pals who were not pictured in the salacious snaps.

A source close to Russini also told the outlet that she was staying at the hotel during a hiking trip with two female friends.

Meanwhile, one of the coach's pals informed Page Six that they had driven to Sedona for the day and then drove back to their own hotel, which was two hours away, after spending time with Russini and her friends.

However, three eyewitnesses told Page Six that they did not see anyone else with the coach and reporter.

When asked if Vrabel was with a group, one eyewitness said: “No, he was with a girl.”

Prior to making the trip to the resort, Vrabel attended a scouting event at Arizona State University in Tempe, which is 125 miles away from Ambiente.

After meeting up with Russini, Vrabel attended a meeting for the NFL Competition Committee at Biltmore hotel in Phoenix.

Vrabel initially told the New York Post of the images: "These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response."

Russini also shared her own statement, noting, "The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues."

However, on April 14, Russini announced that she had stepped down from her role at the New York Times' Athletic, publicly releasing her resignation letter that she had sent to executive editor Steven Ginsberg.

"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," she began.

"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."