OAKLAND, Calif. – A growing memorial now sits near the office of Laney College athletic director and former head football coach John Beam, who was slain in a campus shooting.

While the flowers and candles honor his memory, they only begin to reflect what Beam meant to his players, past and present, and to a community that hailed him as a father figure to generations of young men and women in Oakland.

A leader who could relate

What they’re saying

Among those paying tribute was Carlos Saravia, an Oakland native who played baseball at Laney.

“Coach Beam could relate to anyone. That’s a real leader,” Saravia said. “He could talk to me, to you, to anybody.”

Beam, affectionately known as Coach Beam, retired as Laney’s head football coach in 2024 but remained close to the field, taking on the role of athletic director.

In a previous interview with KTVU, Beam said his purpose was to mold young athletes into leaders, even when others doubted them.

“Sometimes, young people, no one believes in them,” he said. “Someone has to. It might as well be me.”

Decades of impact on Oakland athletes

What we know

Beam’s death cut short a career that spanned more than four decades. Police said Beam, 66, was shot and killed at the Laney Fieldhouse just before noon.

“Unbelievable,” said friend Shirley Everett Dicko. “I just saw him. He comes to all my son’s games. He is a very good friend. He is part of our family.”

Before joining Laney, Beam coached at Skyline High School, where he helped launch the careers of hundreds of athletes.

Between his time at Skyline and Laney, Beam coached more than 100 players who went on to Division I programs, and over 20 who reached the NFL, seven of them playing in a Super Bowl.

Former player Sean Bullard said Beam changed his life.

“There’s really no description for someone who didn’t give birth to you, but made sure you had everything you needed,” Bullard said. “That’s Coach Beam.”

‘True Oakland legend’

Dig deeper

Beam’s influence was profound.

“His network was huge. His heart was even bigger,” said Lou Richie, basketball coach at Bishop O’Dowd High School and a friend.

Former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said Beam’s gift was his ability to inspire young people to dream bigger and reach higher. Adding that Beam knew how to get their attention.

“What was really special about him was his belief in young men,” Armstrong said. “Coach Beam would give them an opportunity. He knew how to speak to them.”

Bullard shared a similar sentiment.

“Our only purpose as parents and coaches is to make the next generation better. He’s done it over and over and over again.”

Armstrong said Beam’s absence will leave a definite “void” in the lives of the young athletes he’s guided.

Piedmont Police Chief Fred Shavies, a former Oakland deputy chief, said Beam was so much more than a coach.

“He was a father figure to thousands of, not only men, but young women in our community,” said Shavies, who lost his father in high school.

Shavies said he met Beam when he was in eighth grade at Bret Harte Middle School.

“He meant so much to me,” Shavies said. Adding that he and Beam kept in touch over the years.

“[Beam] has always been there for me. Has always reached out to me. And it’s not just me…Our hearts are aching.”

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called Beam “a legend.”

“Today is a really, really sad day — a sad day for the Bay Area, a sad day for Coach Beam’s family and everybody in Oakland,” Kerr said. “He was a revered figure in Oakland. Did much for so many people.”

The Oakland Ballers also paid tribute.

“Coach Beam was one of the first people to believe in the Oakland Ballers,” the Ballers said in a statement. “He was part of our secret meetings, and he helped us make important connections within the Oakland community. As the Ballers grew, Coach Beam was a mentor, an advisor, an investor, and a friend.”

Oakland native and NBA All-Star Damian Lillard said Beam gave him his first job — working at Laney football games.

“This man is a true Oakland legend and GREAT man,” Lillard said. “Hundreds of kids all over Oakland became the type of men they are today because of this dude.”

A legacy that lives on

Before retiring last year as head coach, Beam was asked what legacy he hoped to leave behind.

“My legacy is going to be the young people,” he said. “That’s going to be my legacy. I want it to live and breathe.”