New York Times sports journalist Dianna Russini is known for her long career covering the NFL.<\/p>\n
Russini made headlines after Page Six exclusively obtained photos of her and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel at the Ambiente Sedona hotel<\/a> in Arizona on March 28.<\/p>\n Vrabel told Page Six the photos were \u201ca completely innocent interaction,\u201d while Russini said they \u201cdon\u2019t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.\u201d <\/p>\n Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel were seen together in Sedona, Arizona, on March 28. \u00a9 Page Six<\/p>\n Photos show the pair holding hands. \u00a9 Page SIx<\/p>\n Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of the Athletic, added the photos are \u201cmisleading.\u201d<\/p>\n The journalist, who has a long professional history with the NFL coach<\/a>, once said the key to her success was to be \u201crelentless\u201d in pursuing one\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n \u201cI think, when I look at the times that I really took a step forward, I always was uncomfortable,\u201d she said in an interview earlier this year<\/a>, adding that she \u201cjust kept going.\u201d <\/p>\n Vrabel (seen above with Russini in Arizona) is head coach for the New England Patriots. \u00a9 Page Six<\/p>\n Russini and Vrabel were seen by the pool. \u00a9 Page SIx<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t let anyone stop me,\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n Below, here\u2019s everything you need to know about Russini, her high-profile career, and her personal background. <\/p>\n She works at the Athletic<\/p>\n Dianna Russini (seen here interviewing Mike Vrabel in 2019) works at the Athletic. Dianna Russini\/Instagram<\/p>\n Russini is currently employed as a senior NFL Insider for the Athletic<\/a>, which is owned by the New York Times.<\/p>\n The former athlete joined the Athletic in August 2023 after leaving ESPN. She contributes to video and audio projects for the outlet and leads breaking news coverage.<\/p>\n According to NBC Sports<\/a>, she is one of the highest paid writers for the site, likely making more than NYT vets Maggie Haberman or David Brooks. <\/p>\n She\u2019s a a senior NFL Insider at the outlet. She\u2019s seen above in 2018. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a situation where ESPN didn\u2019t want me. I love ESPN. They\u2019ve given me so much opportunity and the people I\u2019ve worked with were incredible. It was a really difficult decision for me, for my family. But it really came down to recognizing at ESPN I wasn\u2019t going to change roles,\u201d she said at the time. <\/p>\n \u201cThere was no elevation there for me based on my conversations with the company. They did not have a vision outside of what I currently do. The Athletic, through conversations I had with all the people in charge, just has an endless amount of roles and ideas for me. They want information. They want a storyteller. They want someone with personality.\u201d<\/p>\n She added, \u201cOnce I realized they were pretty much handing me over a blank sheet of paper that basically just said go be who you want to be, I realized that this could change my life. The Athletic showed that they value me more than ESPN, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Previous workplaces <\/p>\n She previously worked for CNN. She\u2019s seen here attending the ESPY Awards in 2019. WireImage<\/p>\n The reporter previously worked at ESPN as an NFL Insider and reporter for eight years. During her time on the iconic sports network, she appeared on \u201cSportsCenter,\u201d\u00a0\u201cNFL Live,\u201d\u00a0\u201cSunday NFL Countdown,\u201d and \u201cGet Up.\u201d <\/p>\n At ESPN, she conducting high-profile interviews covered the league as a senior reporter, and specialized in breaking sports news. <\/p>\n At the outset of her journalism career, Russini was the youngest reporter hired at\u00a0WNBC\u00a0in New York City. She moved on to Seattle, where she became a sports anchor and reporter for Comcast SportsNet Northwest\u00a0(CSN Northwest). <\/p>\n Russini also previously worked at\u00a0News 12 Westchester, as well as NBC affiliates\u00a0WNBC in New York City, WVIT in Connecticut, and\u00a0WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n Her NFL podcast <\/p>\n Russini, seen here interviewing Bud Dupree, also co-hosts a football podcast. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n In addition to extensive coverage in the Athletic, Russini co-hosts a Spotify podcast <\/a>called \u201cScoop City: Inside The NFL,\u201d alongside insider James Palmer and former quarterback Chase Daniel. <\/p>\n According to an official overview, the podcast \u201cbrings unmatched access and expert analysis\u201d on the league and \u201cbehind-the-scenes scoops to deep dives on the biggest NFL stories.\u201d <\/p>\n The podcast \u2014 which debuted in July 2024 \u2014 drops new episodes Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and promises to be the \u201cintel every fan needs.\u201d <\/p>\n She\u2019s married to Kevin Goldschmidt<\/p>\n The duo (above on their wedding day) share two sons. Dianna Russini\/Instagram<\/p>\n Russini married Kevin Goldschmidt on Sept. 26, 2020, in an intimate ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n They reportedly began secretly dating in 2015, according to the Sun<\/a>, and kept the relationship from the public eye until their 2020 engagement.<\/p>\n The Penn State alum is a the vice president of total rewards and HR technology at Shake Shack, per the outlet.<\/p>\n On their two-year anniversary, she posted a throwback snap<\/a> from their wedding, writing, \u201c2 years today was the best day of my life\u2014when I married Kev in front of our family and dozens of friends over zoom!\u201d<\/p>\n She added, \u201cIt\u2019s you and only you, for me, forever.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s a mother of two<\/p>\n Russini (above at a Fanatics Super Bowl party in February) also previously worked at CSN Northwest. Getty Images for Fanatics<\/p>\n The journalist is a mother to two sons with Goldschmidt. The couple welcomed Michael Andrew in August 2021 and Joseph \u201cJoey\u201d Kevin in October 2022.\u201d <\/p>\n She wrote in an Instagram post<\/a> after the birth of her second child that she felt \u201cbeyond lucky and blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to feel young again. These kids have worn me down,\u201d she joked during a February 2026 appearance on the Dan Patrick Show<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve aged 15 years in a span of four years.\u201d She also joked that having two young sons just a year apart was like \u201chaving twins.\u201d <\/p>\n She\u2019s from New Jersey<\/p>\n The prominent journalist (here in February) was raised in Norwood, New Jersey, and is known to impersonate her mother, Camille Russini. Getty Images for Fanatics<\/p>\n Russini was born in\u00a0the Bronx and raised in\u00a0Norwood, New Jersey, by supportive parents Camille and Rick Russini. <\/p>\n