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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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After Clemson defeated Florida State 36-24 on Saturday, head coach Dabo Swinney blasted fans for a "shameful" banner flown over FSU's stadium calling for the firing of head coach Mike Norvell.
"Mike Norvell, that was embarrassing what I saw above the stadium. It was embarrassing. It was an embarrassment. Florida State's better than that. That's not good for these kids," Swinney said at his postgame media session, adding, "I get it, you got contracts and all this stuff, but, man, that bothered me."
The banner flown over Doak Campbell Stadium misspelled Norvell's last name as "Novell" and also called for the firing of Peter Collins, the chair of FSU's Board of Trustees. It reportedly cost $3,500 and was funded through a GoFundMe organized by FSU fans.
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"It's just disrespectful. Mike Norvell's a good man. You ain't gotta like him as a football coach. You ain't even gotta like me as a football coach. That's a good man right there, and he's a hell of a football coach," Swinney said of the FSU head coach.
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Swinney also expressed his high level of respect for FSU and said former head coach Bobby Bowden was "one of [his] heroes in life."
"He ain't gonna say it, but I'll say it. I was freakin' disappointed to see that," he reiterated, adding, "Whoever did that, you oughta be ashamed of yourself.
"Listen, I know it's a tough situation, and it went our way tonight, but Mike Norvell is a good man," Swinney said.
"I don't know where we became this as a society, where it's OK to just tear people down," the Clemson head coach said, adding, "It's like a bloodsport now. Lose a game, fire everybody. Everybody stinks. Like, you know, how bout we just support the kids.
"I'm sure somebody had a lot of fun to fly a plane, felt really good about themselves to fly a freakin' plane and a banner around this amazing stadium. Doak Campbell, it's an amazing stadium. Bobby Bowden Field. It's, it's shameful to me," Swinney said.
Saturday night's loss to Clemson was Florida State's fourth in ACC play this season.
Despite outgaining Clemson in total offense, Florida State never led in the game. Quarterback Ashton Daniels had 350 passing yards and two touchdowns, but also three interceptions.
Unfortunately, the loss to Clemson added to the frustration over Norvell as the head coach amid FSU's struggling season. They're now 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the ACC.
Norvell was hired in 2020 and led Florida State to a 13-1 season in 2023. However, the program has struggled since 2024, and firing him would be complicated by a massive contract buyout reportedly worth approximately $47.1 million.
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