The Athletic found its former NFL reporter Dianna Russini had a close, “awkward” and “uncomfortable” relationship with coach Mike Vrabel that she should’ve disclosed, the New York Times-owned digital sports publication said Thursday.
However, Mike Semel, The Athletic’s editorial director for standards and quality, who led the probe into Russini’s work, said he did not uncover “clear” evidence that the publication’s one-time NFL insider wrongly propped up Vrabel’s professional interests.
Russini resigned from The Athletic in April, less than a week after photos of she and the married Vrabel, 51, at an Arizona hotel drew scrutiny.
“I’ve not found a clear link to conclude that Russini used her platform to help promote Vrabel or help his teams during her time at The Athletic,” Semel wrote in a piece published Thursday.
“That said, there are examples of Russini writing glowingly of Vrabel that in hindsight are awkward or even uncomfortable.”
Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots on Feb. 25 in Indianapolis.Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images file
Semel said he “reviewed 903 stories and 77 videos published on The Athletic site and app that carried Russini’s byline, co-byline, a contributor line or a mention of her reporting” in addition to “204 episodes of the Scoop City podcast, produced by The Athletic and co-hosted by Russini.”
Semel also looked over “25 off-platform appearances or interviews for which she was in some way representing The Athletic and interviewed 14 Athletic staffers.
Semel’s piece did not mention any interviews with Russini herself for this probe.
Russini, 43, could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.
“Russini’s relationship with Vrabel was in clear violation of The Athletic’s standards,” according to Semel. “Regardless of whether the relationship was romantic, it was a breach and should have been disclosed.”
In addition to several gushing comments Russini has made about Vrabel on various platforms, Semel zeroed in on a 2023 “What I’m Hearing” column, in which she wrote that Vrabel, then head coach of the Tennessee Titans, wouldn’t be fired.
“Angry Tennessee Titans fans can stop hoping owner Amy Adams Strunk fires Vrabel. It’s not happening. Based on multiple conversations with high-ranking Titans officials, the franchise strongly and collectively believes it has the right coach for long-term success,” according to Russini.
The Titans fired Vrabel two months later.
Vrabel returned to coaching in 2025 and led New England to one of the greatest turnarounds in recent NFL history. The 2025 coach of the year, Vrabel took a squad, which had gone 4-13 in consecutive campaigns, to a 14-3 mark and AFC title this past season.
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