Beloved Faculty Soccer Coach Shot And Killed On Campus
Laney College and the wider Oakland community are mourning the loss of longtime football coach and athletic director John Beam, who died Friday after being shot on campus in what police described as a targeted attack. Beam, 66, was a central figure in Bay Area athletics for more than four decades and became nationally known after appearing in Netflix’s Last Chance U.
Beam was shot around midday Thursday inside or near the fieldhouse at Laney College in Oakland. Emergency crews rushed him to a local hospital, where he remained in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries the following morning. The shooting triggered an immediate campus lockdown as police searched the area and reviewed security footage.
Authorities announced that an arrest had been made just hours after Beam’s death. Oakland police said the suspect, identified by multiple local outlets as 27-year-old Cedric Irving Jr., was taken into custody without incident. Investigators recovered a firearm that they say matches ballistic evidence found at the scene. While the suspect did not play under Beam, he had played football at a nearby high school and was known to frequent the campus. Officials said Beam and the suspect knew each other but were not close.
Oakland Assistant Police Chief James Beere called the shooting a “very targeted incident,” noting that the suspect appeared to come onto campus “for a specific reason.” Police have not yet released information about motive, and the investigation remains active.
Former College football coach John Beam from ‘Last Chance U’ has died, the Oakland Police Department announced.
Details: https://t.co/H6MC3COeFl pic.twitter.com/Fe7bUvyMRK
— On3 (@On3sports) November 14, 2025
Frederick Shavies II — a former deputy police chief in Oakland who now serves as the police chief in Piedmont, Calif. — told reporters at the news conference that Mr. Beam played a pivotal role in his life and career.
“John was so much more than a coach,” he said. “He was a father figure to thousands of not only men but young women in our community. Our hearts are aching.”
Beam’s death sent waves through the college athletics world. Beginning at Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach before becoming head coach in 2012, Beam built one of the most respected junior college programs in California. Under his leadership, Laney won league titles, rose to national rankings, and sent a steady stream of players to four-year universities and even the NFL. Beyond wins and losses, Beam was celebrated for mentoring young athletes from challenging backgrounds and keeping education at the forefront of his program.
His national profile expanded dramatically in 2020 when Laney College was featured in Season 5 of Netflix’s Last Chance U. The series showcased Beam’s demanding but compassionate coaching style and his commitment to guiding players both on and off the field. The spotlight made him a recognizable figure to football fans around the country.
Local leaders and former players have described Beam as a pillar of Oakland athletics. He spent decades shaping youth sports in the city and built deep ties with schools, families, and community programs. Many credited him with keeping young people on the right path and giving countless athletes opportunities they might never have had otherwise.