OAKLAND — John Beam, the legendary football coach who shaped multiple generations of student athletes, anchoring Oakland’s sports community and becoming a respected leader at Laney College, has died from a gunshot wound in a shooting at the school’s campus, police said Friday. He was 66.
“We are devastated that John Beam, our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach mentor and friend has passed,” his family said in a statement. “Our hearts are full from the outpouring of support … We are deeply grateful for your continued prayers well wishes and thoughts.”
Beam was pronounced dead at 10 a.m. Friday, police said. He had been hospitalized since the day before, after a gunman entered a campus facility and shot the college’s longtime athletics director in the head, according to sources with direct knowledge of the incident.
A suspect arrested early Friday morning was identified by sources as Cedric Irving Jr., a 27-year-old Oakland resident.
It was a shocking loss for athletes, coaches and Oakland residents who had come to rely on the wisdom and dedication of a man known around town simply as Coach Beam.
His gruff demeanor, bushy mustache and deadpan honesty made Beam a recognizable character in Oakland’s rich tapestry of sports figures. And those who knew Beam closely remembered most his personal efforts to help generations of young athletes onto a better life path.
Beam coached Skyline High School’s football team for 22 years, winning numerous league championships before leaving in 2004 to helm the program at Laney.
“Football is about family,” he said in an early scene in the Netflix series Last Chance U, which documented the Laney Eagles’ 2019 season, following their victory in the California Community College Athletic Association championship a year prior.
He retired from coaching last year to focus on his role as athletics director, saying in an interview at the time, “It’s been a good run, brother.”
Beam spoke up about issues at Laney, calling on the community to invest in the college’s future. He was quick to vent his frustrations but ended most conversations with a touch of dry wit.
Fans of Last Chance U quickly took to Beam, noting in online discussions that his teaching style offered a much softer touch than the stereotype of coaches who bark at players. He sent short personalized videos to fans for $30 apiece on his Cameo page. “I can tell how much you care,” noted one of the many five-star reviews.
“He brought those successful ‘old school’ ways into a new age, always maintaining a high level of athletic and academic excellence,” Erika Rosario, whose father, Stan Peters, preceded Beam as Laney football’s head coach, said in a statement.
Even his signature outro to locker-room speeches and motivational talks became legend — a sign-off to which Piedmont Police Chief Frederick Shavies, who had known Beam personally for years, paid homage at a news conference Friday.
“I knew that if Coach was here, he would end by saying ‘Two claps, ready, ready,’” Shavies said.
Keith Bhonapha, a running backs coach at Michigan State, recalled how Beam personally worked to get him back on track when he was cutting class. Eventually, the coach helped Bhonapha secure a university scholarship and, later, his own first coaching gig.
“This is how his life ends? It’s a joke,” Bhonapha said Friday, struggling to hold back tears. “He spent his whole life trying to keep kids out of trouble.”
“Hopefully his legacy is still bigger than this tragic story,” he added, after gathering himself. “It’s going to live on through all of us — all the people he helped.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Shomik Mukherjee is a reporter covering Oakland. Call or text him at 510-905-5495 or email him at shomik@bayareanewsgroup.com.