Penfold is a Colorado product all the way. He graduated from Fort Lupton High School in 1967 and the University of Northern Colorado in 1974. He began his career as an assistant at Valley High School in 1974 then was an assistant at Wiggins High School from 1976-1987. He became the head coach at Wiggins in 1987 and held that position until 2005. He also coached the junior high program at the school. During his tenure his teams won 13 league championships (12 in a row from 1993-2004) and won six state championships (four in a row 1999-2002), had one runner-up finish and one third-place finish. He coached 16 individual state champions and 78 place winners among his 130 state qualifiers. His teams won a total of 75 tournament championships. He was named a Colorado Coach of the Year four times, coached two AllState Games teams and served as the President of the Colorado High School Coaches Association, 2003-2005. Penfold is retired, but still works as a volunteer coach at Greeley Central High School and with his Pee Wee Wrestling Club in Greeley.