Who was ‘Last Chance U’ coach John Beam? Beloved Laney College icon dies after campus shooting

Laney College football coach John Beam died on November 14, 2025, after being shot on the school’s campus. Beam was an Oakland football icon who grew in popularity after being featured in the popular Netflix series Last Chance U.
 

Gunfire broke out on the college campus on November 13, and the late coach was struck at the Laney College Fieldhouse and taken to the hospital in critical condition.

He died the following morning at 10 a.m., according to police reports.
 

Beam, who joined Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach and remained there for over two decades, is mourned by family, friends and the Laney College community.

Tammeil Gilkerson, chancellor of the Peralta Community College District, in a statement to TMZ, revealed that they felt profound sorrow over Bean’s death:

"There are no real words to express my profound sorrow, but it is only softened by the tremendous gratitude I feel for the opportunity I had to work alongside him. John made me laugh, infuriated me on some days, elevated my thinking, and constantly challenged me to be better for Peralta and for Oakland. I am keeping John's family, loved ones, and all of you in my thoughts and prayers."

More details on John Beam as he passes away at 66

John Beam began coaching at Laney College in 2004 as an assistant coach. He became a head coach in 2012 and won two league titles. Before joining the college, he coached at Skyline High School.

He retired from coaching in 2024 but continued mentoring and training in the College’s athletic program.
 

Twenty of his mentees have become professional players in the NFL. In the Netflix series Last Chance U, Bean shared how he trained players whom nobody wanted to work with and developed a deep bond with them. 

The Oakland police department, in a press conference, described Bean’s death as a “targeted situation.”

A suspect has been arrested a day after the shooting incident outside Oakland city. 

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