and Arnold Tucker, in a December game he organized in Mexico City called the "Silver Bowl". He was awarded the Mérito Militar de Mexico. Air Force Academy In 1955, Whitlow was appointed the head football coach and athletic director at the newly created United States Air Force Academy. He served in that role for one season, and was replaced by Lawrence "Buck" Shaw. After the 1956 Air Force football team went 6–2–1, athletic director Whitlow turned down a bid offered for the Junior Rose Bowl. He wired the bowl organizers to inform them that the superintendent, Major General James Briggs, had "disapproved participation of [the] Air Force Academy football team in post-season competition" after consulting with The Pentagon. In 1957, his three-year tour of duty ended, and he was reassigned within the Air Force. In the 1960s, he held assignments in Germany and France. Whitlow was then assigned to Air Defense Sector, Montana and qualified on the F-101 Voodoo fighter. Later life Whitlow retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1963 at the rank of colonel, and was appointed as "athletic director" of the Chicago Cubs baseball club. The position was created as part of the College of Coaches experiment, and outranked general manager John Holland. The unique arrangement was widely ridiculed by people associated with the franchise. One of his contributions was the installation of weight training equipment in the team's clubhouse, an uncommon practice at the time. Less well-received was his construction of a batter's background screen which doubled the height of the barrier and was derided as "Whitlow's wall". Whitlow remained with the organization for two years. In the 1980s, Whitlow was the president of the "Arizona Firebirds", a group of investors that sought to bring a National Football League expansion franchise to Phoenix. In 1984, commenting on widespread speculation that the Philadelphia Eagles would relocate to Arizona, Whitlow said, "Until they're actually here, I won't accept it ... I'm really very surprised that anything is this close, especially because they don't have their own place to play. This doesn't seem very wise from the Eagles' point of view." Whitlow also owned the Phoenix Roadrunners minor league hockey team. Whitlow died on July 11, 1997, at his summer home in Harbor Point, Michigan. Head coaching record References External links 1918 births 1997 deaths Air Force Falcons athletic directors Air Force Falcons football coaches Army Black Knights football