Dabo Swinney did not help Mike Norvell's standing with the Florida State fan base during the 'Noles home game with Clemson on Saturday. The Tigers took it, 36-24, dropping Norvell's team to 3-5 on the season, 1-4 in ACC play, and 4-17 in ACC play since the beginning of the 2024 season.
However, Swinney stook up for Norvell for three solid minutes after the game.
The Clemson head coach was inspired to defend Norvell after an as-yet-unidentified FSU fan or group hired a plane to fly a "Fire Novell" sign across the sky ahead of the game. (The sign also called for the firing of FSU board chairman Peter Collins.)
"That was embarrassing, what I saw above the stadium. It was an embarrassment. Florida State's better than that. That's not good for these kids.
A plane with a banner is flying around Doak before FSU-Clemson but misspells Norvell in the message 😭😂
— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) October 31, 2026
“FSU: Fire Novell • Peter Collins” pic.twitter.com/vs5IChpAa4
"Listen, I get it. Everybody's got contracts and all this kind of stuff but, man, that bothered me. And they didn't even spell his name right, didn't even have the freaking 'r' in the name. I mean, it's just disrespectful. Mike Norvell's a good man. You ain't got to like him as a football game, you ain't got to like me as a football coach. That's a good man right there. That's a good man, and he's a hell of a football coach. I know Florida State's better now. There are so many good people at this place and in this program. I've always had a lot of respect for Florida State.
"He isn't going to say it, but I'll say it: I was freaking disappointed to see that," Swinney said.
Here’s Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s full quote ripping the people who flew a “Fire Mike Novell” sign over FSU’s football stadium pregame. He brought this up unprompted, calling it “embarrassing” and “shameful.” Dabo: “And they didn’t even spell his name right” pic.twitter.com/K1JTml3LI9
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) November 1, 2026
"Whoever did that, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. That's what I would say. A'int nobody trying to lose. This job is hard. That's not what's best for those kids out there. Every second of that game, their kids fought. I walked out there in pre-game, looked up there, and it really bothered me," Swinney said.
After taking aim at those behind the sign, Swinney then turned to society at large.
"I know it's a tough situation, and it went our way tonight," he said. "But Mike Norvell is a good man. He's a husband. He's a father. I don't know why people make money and this and that that you have the right to just destroy people as humans. I don't know where we became this as a society where it's okay to just tear people down."
"How about we just support the kids, support the team, count 'em all up at the end of the year and we go from there?"