Friday Update: ABC is now reporting John Beam has died. Rest in peace, Coach.
Our thoughts go out to John Beam’s family and all those he impacted throughout his life. pic.twitter.com/h248lt7oan
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) November 14, 2025
The California community college football community mourns the loss of a true legend, John Beam. pic.twitter.com/aY2PMYZv80
— California Community College Football Coaches (@cccfca1) November 14, 2025
Coach John Beam was the best of us. After all the work he put in over 4 decades, all the unpaid assistance he - and his family - provided to those in need, his murder is a massive tragedy and a colossal loss to the greater Oakland community. So irrational and so infuriating.
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) November 14, 2025
“We are devastated that John Beam, our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach mentor and friend has passed,” the Beam 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.”
“This is how his life ends? It’s a joke,” Michigan State running backs coach Keith Bhonapha, a Beam player, told the San Jose Mercury News. “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.”
27-year-old Cedric Irving, Jr., was tracked down at a BART station at 3 a.m. and arrested, per multiple reports. Irving played at Skyline High School but not at Laney College.
Laney College athletics director and legendary former coach John Beam was shot in his office on Thursday, according to multiple reports on Thursday.
The shooting occurred in the field house of the school's Oakland, Calif., campus just before noon Pacific time today. The suspect, a man of unknown race wearing dark clothing and a black hoodie, remains at large. ABC7 News reported Beam was shot in the head.
"At approximately noon, a senior member of our athletic staff was shot on campus in the Laney Field House," Laney College said in a statement. "The individual was immediately transported to a local hospital, and we are keeping them-and their loved ones-in our hearts during this incredibly difficult time. Out of respect for their privacy, we are not releasing their name at this moment."
Oakland Police Department Assistant Chief James Beere asked the public for help in locating the suspect. Information on Beam's condition at this time is not available. “It’s not good in Oakland right now,” Oakland city councilman Ken Houston told the New York Times. “He is a legend in our city.”
Beam, 66, has been a coach at Laney College since 2004 and its head coach since 2012. He and the school were featured on the 2020 season of the popular Netflix documentary "Last Chance U." He has coached in the Bay Area since 1982.
"It was always about teaching young men and young women, student-athletes, how to fit into society and do certain things like be true to your word," Beam once said of his philosophy. More than 20 of his players have gone on to play in the NFL, and Beam alums have won championships ranging from the NFL, to Division III, to the Arena Football League.
The FootballScoop's hearts are with the Beam family, Laney College, and the entire Bay Area football community. The shooting is the second in as many days in the Oakland school system; a student was wounded in a shooting Wednesday at Skyline High School -- Beam's former school.
“I am heartbroken by today’s shooting at Laney College — the second shooting on an Oakland campus in one week,” Oakland mayor Barbara Lee said. “We must continue confronting the ongoing gun violence crisis that is robbing our community of safety and stealing futures.”
Beam retired from coaching after the 2024 season but remains with the school as its athletics director. The school concluded its 2025 football season last Saturday.