NFL scandal involving coach, reporter has Mississippi Coast tie, TMZ reports

The scandal that has the NFL world talking has a Mississippi Coast tie.

Earlier this week, the New York Post published photos of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and reporter Dianna Russini together at an adults-only retreat in Sedona, Arizona.

Vrabel and Russini, who are each married, both initially strongly denied that the meeting was romantic, saying they were at the retreat with friends. Russini has subsequently resigned from The Athletic, where she was an NFL reporter, and Vrabel has said he has had “difficult conversations” with his family will not take part in Day 3 of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

Late Thursday, TMZ published a story that brought the scandal to the Mississippi Coast.

According to TMZ Sports, Vrabel and Russini were photographed together at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi shortly before midnight on January 31, 2024. They were both married at the time.

TMZ reports that a witness told a reporter “they snapped the pic when they recognized Vrabel ... and assumed at the time that the woman by his side was his wife based on their body language. They didn’t realize until the recent bombshell news that the lady was actually Russini.”

TMZ added that while the witness “didn’t see any PDA, the witness said the two were quite comfortable together, drinking and chatting with other gamblers ... and when Vrabel left the roulette table to play some blackjack, Russini followed ... but sat across from him.”