Mike Vrabel will step away from the Patriots and focus on his wife and children

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has announced he will skip the third day of the NFL Draft this weekend so he can focus on his family and “seek guidance” after footage was published of him spending time at an Arizona hotel with a sportscaster Dianna Russini.

Despite previously insisting that the photos of himself and Russini – which showed them hugging, holding hands and soaking in a pool together – had been taken out of context, 50-year-old Vrabel has now confirmed to ESPN that he will take a short break from coaching the Patriots to undergo counseling and spend time with his wife, Jen Vrabeland their two sons.

“As I said recently, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I would give them the best version of me that I could possibly give them,” he told the newspaper late Wednesday.

“In order to do this, I have committed to seeking advice from this weekend. This is something I have thought about a lot and it is something I would advise a player to do if I were giving him advice.

“I have always wanted to lead by example and I believe this is what I need to do to be the best husband, father and coach I can be.

“This isn’t easy for me to admit, but it’s something I know will make me a better person. I appreciate the support 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 early 2025, when he was named the Patriots’ new head coach but did not specify a location.

It’s also unclear when Vrabel plans to return to the Patriots, but he did note that he was executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden will lead the design 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 conduct — for the first time since they were published by Page Six.

Vrabel admitted during a press conference on Tuesday that he had had to have “some difficult conversations with people I care about: my family, the organization, the coaches, the players.”

“They were positive and productive,” he continued. “We believe that to be successful both on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That goes for me too, that’s what we start with. We never want our actions to have a negative effect on the team. We never want to be the cause of distraction.”

Vrabel did not say where he will spend the weekend, but he and his wife still have a property outside Massachusetts, in Tennessee, where he previously coached for the club for six seasons. Tennessee titans.

Shortly before joining the Patriots, Vrabel and his wife sold their longtime Nashville-area residence in October 2024 for $4.8 million after purchasing the property in 2018 for $1.9 million.

The property, located on 2 hectares of woodland, was built in 2017 and features six bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.

However, seven months before he sold that property, he bought another Nashville property, a six-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Brentwood, Tennessee, for $1.78 million, as first reported by The Guardian. New York Post.

That building covers 4,065 square meters and was built in 1970.

Vrabel’s personal life has been in the headlines lately after Page Six released photos of the Patriots coach and Russini, 43, spending time together at the Ambiente in Sedona, where double bungalows cost up to $2,160.

According to the outlet, Vrabel and Russini, who is married to the director of Shake Shack, Kevin Goldschmidtsince 2020 – enjoyed breakfast on the terrace on March 28 at 10:30 am, followed by an hour in the hot tub.

They were also spotted on the hotel’s roof, which offers stunning 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 friends who were not pictured in the salacious snaps.

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

Meanwhile, one of the coach’s friends told Page Six that they drove to Sedona that 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, an eyewitness said: “No, he was with a girl.”

Before making the trip to the resort, Vrabel attended a scouting event at Arizona State University in Tempe, 120 miles from Ambiente.

After meeting with Russini, Vrabel attended a meeting of the NFL competition committee at the Biltmore hotel in Phoenix.

Vrabel initially told the New York Post about the images: “These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This deserves no further response.”

Russini also shared her own statement, noting, “The photos do not represent the group of six people who hung out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources outside of stadiums and other locations.”

However, on April 14, Russini announced that she had resigned from her role at the New York Times Athletic, publicly releasing the resignation letter she had sent to editor-in-chief. Steven Ginsberg.

“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand by every story I have ever published. When the Page Six article first appeared, The Athletic stood behind me unequivocally, expressing confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that, I am grateful,” she began.

“Unfortunately, in the days that followed, commentators in various media outlets have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply disconnected from the facts.

“Furthermore, this media frenzy rages on without regard to the review process that 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 allow 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 story that has been built around this episode, but because I refuse to give it any more oxygen or let it define me or my career.”