Whittingham: No One Will Wear No. 22 As Long As I Am Head Coach

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Following the tragic passing of Aaron Lowe on September 26, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is retiring No. 22 in the football program.

Kyle Whittingham and the Utah football program has lost two players in the last nine months tragically that both wore No. 22. Ty Jordan had that number in his first season with the Utes in 2020 before passing away to an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound on December 25, 2020 in Denton, Texas.

Jordan’s childhood friend and high school teammate Aaron Lowe switched his number from 2 to 22 during this past off-season to honor Ty. Lowe was the first recipient of the Ty Jordan Memorial Scholarship. He was shot and killed at a house party in Sugarhouse.

At his weekly press conference, Whittingham talked about the number being retired.

“You won’t see anyone wearing number 22 in this program again, at least as long as long as I’m the head coach,” Whittingham said. “We’d like to see that retired permanently. That’s our wish and I think you’ll see that happen.”

Utah football has never retired a number.

An emotional @utesfootball Coach Kyle Whittingham on Aaron Lowe's passing and the number 22 not to be worn by anyone in the Utes program.

"No. 22, you won't see anyone wearing no. 22 in this program again- as long as I'm the Head Coach."#utahutes #GoUtes @kslsports pic.twitter.com/mG1zgwDtJb

— Andy Muñoz (@andymunoz48) October 4, 2021

The players have expressed their grieving process throughout various ways such as social media. Whittingham was asked how the coaches on his staff are handling this tragedy.

“Well, it’s been difficult as you’d expect,” Whittingham stated. “When you’re the head coach you got 120 players and you treat them all and feel about them all the way you do your own children and so it’s like losing one of your own and coaches feel the same way particularly about their position group and then the coaches that recruited the particular players, I mean that impacts them tremendously. So, it’s tough, it’s a huge challenge in a situation like this.”

Utah will travel to Los Angeles to face the USC Trojans on Saturday, October 9 at 6 p.m. MDT on FOX.

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for KSLSports.com, Co-Host of Faith, Family and Football podcast with Clark Phillips III and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports.