Coach known for ‘Last Chance U,’ shot dead in Oakland, is remembered in Sacramento
.jpg "Laney College football coach John Beam reacts after throwing the ceremonial first pitch before the A’s take on the San Francisco Giants at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland on Aug. 23, 2019. Laney died Friday after being shot Thursday on the Oakland college campus.")
John Beam was impossible to miss.
He was a gregarious sort, a spirited football coach and athletic director at Laney College in Oakland, a hero to many in the East Bay, defined by emotions and the trademark bushy mustache. All of that was on display when he became a fixture in Netflix’s “Last Chance U” series in 2020 that chronicled the Eagles season on junior college student-athletes trying to find their way.
Beam died at 66 on Friday morning at Highland Hospital, the Oakland Police Department said, after being shot Thursday on the Laney College campus he often called his second home.
Beam’s loss resonated across the country, including Sacramento, where Beam celebrated his greatest football triumph — winning the 2018 California Community College State Championship at Hughes Stadium, on the Sacramento City College campus.
American River College coach Jon Osterhout got to know Beam over the years, be it during football seasons or in offseason meetings to help grow the game and to make it a safer sport.
“Coached against him several times in playoff football and during the Last Chance U season,” Osterhout said. “An excellent coach and an authentic leader of young men. Active in the JC coaches association, a true beacon for the Oakland community, and a huge personality with that signature mustache. A huge loss.”
Piedmont Police Chief Frederick Shavies said Beam was an “absolutely incredible human being” in a Friday news conference, adding, “our hearts are aching.”
Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell in that news conference announced the death of Beam while also saying that an arrest had been made. Oakland Police Assistant Chief James Beere in that news conference said, “This was a very targeted incident.”
Beere did not go into details on how the alleged shooter knew Beam but did say the suspect, who was not named, was known to “loiter” on the Laney College campus. Beam was shot around noon Thursday at the Laney College football facility. The Peralta Community College District issued an emergency alert of an active shooter. Beam was the only one who was targeted, according to authorities.
“We are devastated that John Beam, our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach mentor and friend has passed,” Beam’s 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.”
Those who knew Beam said he wasn’t just a successful coach. He shaped lives. He coached Skyline High School in Oakland to 15 league championships and 11 CIF Oakland Section banners in producing a 160-33-3 record. His Skyline teams did not lose a single league game in the 1990s.
Beam was hired at Laney College as an assistant coach in 2004 and was the head coach at school from 2012 to 2024. He remained on staff as the schools’ athletic director
Beam was a beloved figure in the East Bay, Piedmont Police Chief Fred Shavies said in the news conference.
“John was so much more than a coach,” Shavies said. “He was a father figure to thousands of not only men but young women in our community. An absolutely incredible human being.”
Beam was a San Diego native. He met his wife, Cindi, when they were in their 20s. Beam was active on social media and regularly ended a post with “2 claps, Ready Ready” which was the same way he ended player huddles over his coaching career.
Beam last month was presented by the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for high school sports, with a distinguished service award for his years of prep coaching impact. He was given a CIF gold card, which he posted on X as a “lifetime free membership to high school games. 2 Claps Ready Ready.”
Beam is survived by wife Cindy, daughters Monica and Sonjha and two granddaughters, of whom he often posted photos on social media.
This story was originally published November 14, 2025 at 2:38 PM.