Which coach helped Dianna Russini get out of a ticket?

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The recent New York Times article regarding former New York Times reporter Dianna Russini answered some lingering questions. It also gave rise to an obvious question that possibly will linger at least until the opening of training camps, if not longer. The item opens with reference to a story Russini told on the Stugotz & Company radio show on Thursday, February 5 from the media center at the Super Bowl. She'd been pulled over (presumably in New Jersey, where she lives) for texting while driving. She told the officer that the Bills had just fired coach Sean McDermott and that she was trying to break the story. The officer said he's not a fan of the Bills, but of another team. She assumed he was a Jets fan. He said it's not the Jets. She offered to connect the officer with his favorite team's coach. And so she FaceTimed the coach, who took the call, spoke to the officer, and persuaded him to not issue her a ticket. "Who does that?" she said after telling the story. "I was desperate. I don't want to get a ticket. My husband was gonna kill me. Texting and driving — I shouldn't be doing that. I know that . . . What a nasty play. But it worked." The Times article doesn't identify the coach. The Times article does say the coach wasn't Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. (And, obviously, it wasn't McDermott or Jets coach Aaron Glenn.) So who was it? McDermott was fired on the morning of Monday, January 19, with word of the termination beginning to circulate just after 9:00 a.m. ET. At the time, the NFL had eight other head-coaching vacancies: Dolphins, Browns, Steelers, Ravens, Titans, Raiders, Falcons, and Cardinals. (The Giants had just hired John Harbaugh.) That leaves 21 possibilities. The coaches employed at the time were: Bengals coach Zac Taylor, Colts coach Shane Steichen, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, Jaguars coach Liam Coen, Broncos coach Sean Payton, Chiefs coach Andy Reid, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer, Commanders coach Dan Quinn, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, John Harbaugh, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, Lions coach Dan Campbell, Packers coach Matt LaFleur, Bears coach Ben Johnson, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles, Saints coach Kellen Moore, Panthers coach Dave Canales, Rams coach Sean McVay, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, and Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald. Given the time of day, it was just after 6:00 a.m. in California and Washington. Which would tend to make it less likely that McVay, Macdonald, Harbaugh, or Shanahan were in the office that early. (Then again, the Rams and Seahawks were scheduled to play the NFC Championship six days later. Then again, the Rams had just flown home from playing the Bears in Chicago the night before.) Again, who was it? I've gotten that specific question multiple times since the Time s article was posted three days ago. Tony Farmer, who has embedded his teeth into the broader Vrabel-Russini story and won't let go, suggested that the reporters covering the various teams should ask the question the next time the coach is available to reporters, at the outset of training camp. There's another angle to the story, which wasn't mentioned by the Times and which I'm reluctant to bring up for fear of being dubbed a "narc." New Jersey has a very broad bribery law . It also has a very strict law regarding texting and driving . For the first offense, it's a $200 fine. The second offense results in a $400 fine. The third offense carries a $600 fine — and a 90-day suspension of driving privileges…