Born in LaRue County, Kentucky,[1] Trumbo attended Chapman College in Orange, California, and was a two-sport athlete for four years: a forward in basketball and a catcher on the baseball team from 1957 to 1961.
Trumbo moved back west to northern California in 1970 to Sonoma State in Rohnert Park as athletic director, and added basketball coaching duties after the Cossacks went 3–24 in 1972, winless in a dozen conference games.
The basketball program was dropped in 1974 for financial reasons and Trumbo departed for nearby Santa Rosa Junior College and was the head coach for nine seasons, posting a 212–68 (.757) record with seven conference titles.
As an outsider following a hero, Trumbo recognized that his task in Moscow to continue the recent success would be difficult;[7][8] with less talent and experience, Idaho slipped back into the Big Sky cellar in 1984 and attendance plummeted.
[14][15] Returning to lower profile programs, Trumbo was later the athletic director at Hawaii–Hilo (1990–2000), Cal State–Monterey Bay (2000–2006), Diablo Valley College (interim, 2008–2009),[16] and back on Hawaii (Big Island) at Konawaena High School from 2009 to 2016.