Clemson's Dabo Swinney rips 'Fire Novell' FSU football fan protest

Dabo Swinney's Clemson team pulled no punches on the field at Doak Campbell Stadium in a 36-24 win over Florida State football on Saturday, Oct. 31. And Swinney pulled no punches when discussing a banner flown over the stadium pregame with a message of "Fire Novell," which obviously was a reference to Mike Norvell, despite the typo.Swinney called it an "embarrassment" in an over two-minute-long rant postgame."That was embarrassing what I saw above the stadium. It was an embarrassment. Florida State is better than that. It's not good for these kids," Swinney said. "I get it, everybody's got contracts and all this type of stuff, but man, that bothered me. And they didn't even spell his name right; they didn't have the freaking R in the name. It's just disrespectful. Mike Norvell is a good man. You ain't got to like him as a football [coach]; you don't have to like me as a football coach. But that's a good man right there, and he's a hell of a football coach."Swinney's comments amplified an already tense environment over the future of the Seminoles program. The banner was a culmination of fan frustration that has led to statements from university president Richard McCullough, both on social media and in an Oct. 30 Board of Trustees meeting.Those comments suggested that the football program hasn't been good enough, and a 10-22 record, including going 1-5 vs. Power 4 opponents this season, supports that. Even with the shortcomings, Swinney felt the banner was a step too far. "I know Florida State is better than that. There are so many good people at this place and at this program. I always had a lot of respect for Florida State; Bobby Bowden is one of my heroes in life. He [Norvell] ain't going to say it, but I will; I was freaking disappointed to see that. And hell, they might be flying one around Clemson the next time that I'm home. But I doubt it. Whoever did that, you oughta be ashamed of yourself; that's what I would say."Swinney added that losing football games shouldn't result in personal attacks, and he expressed his sympathy to Norvell and the Seminoles team."Ain't nobody trying to lose. This job is hard. And that's not what's best for those kids out there that are fighting. They fought every second of the game. Every second of that game, their kids fought. I walked out there pregame, and that really bothered me. I know it's a tough situation, and it went our way tonight. But Mike Norvell is a good man. He's a husband; he's a father," Swinney said. "I don't know why we think that because people make money and this and that, that you just have the right to just destroy people as humans. I don't know where we became this as a society, that it's just okay to tear people down. It's like a blood sport now. Lose a game, and it's 'fire everybody, everybody stinks.' How about we just support the kids, support the team, we count them all up at the end of the year, and we go from there.""My heart goes out to Coach Norvell and his family. And that team, that fought their butts off every single play," Swinney added. "I'm sure somebody had a lot of fun and felt really good about themselves to fly a freaking plane and a banner around this amazing stadium, Doak Campbell, Bobby Bowden Field. It's shameful to me."Florida State football schedule 2026(Current Record 3-5, 1-4 ACC)vs. New Mexico State | 34-17 Wvs. SMU* | 27-24 LByeat Alabama | 50-36 Lvs. Central Arkansas | 34-7 Wvs. Virginia* | 38-7 Wat Louisville* | 44-20at Miami* | 43-35 L 2OTByevs. Clemson* | 36-24 Lat Boston College* | Nov. 7at Pittsburgh* | Nov. 13vs. NC State* | Nov. 21vs. Florida | Nov. 27Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Clemson's Dabo Swinney rips 'Fire Novell' FSU football fan protest