Former coach John Beam from Netflix’s ‘Last Chance U’ shot in Oakland

Laney College athletic director and former football coach John Beam — who was featured on Netflix’s “Last Chance U” — was shot on Thursday, ABC7 Bay Area reported.

The shooting occurred on the college’s campus in Oakland, with sources close to Beam saying that the situation was “critical.”

“From what I understand, it’s critical. It’s tense up there,” Benjie Ross, who played under Beam at Oakland Skyline High School during the 1980s, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

3

In an earlier statement to KTVU, Laney officials withheld Beam’s name, saying that the shooting victim was a senior member in the athletic department, but confirmed the victim had been taken to a nearby hospital.

“A senior member of our athletic staff was shot on campus in the Laney Field House,” the junior college said, according to KTVU. “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.”

Local authorities confirmed that the suspect is still at large, with Oakland Police Department Assistant Chief James Beere asking for the community’s help in locating the suspected shooter.

3

“It’s a male; unknown race, wearing all dark clothing and a black hoodie,” Beere said.

Beam is a longtime coach in the Bay Area, starting his career at the high school level in 1982 as the defensive coordinator at Skyline.

After more than two decades at Skyline, Beam became the running backs coach for Laney in 2004 and was later named head coach in 2012.

Over the course of his career, Beam has coached more than 20 NFL players, seven of whom have played in the Super Bowl.

3

Beam gained national notoriety when his football program was featured on “Last Chance U,” a series that followed junior college football players vying for scholarship offers from Division I schools.

“Overall, the experience of it was unbelievable,” Coach Beam told ABC7 Bay Area when the Laney “Last Chance U” season was released in 2020. “I think they did tell the story of Oakland, Laney, Skyline, myself and our whole community in a really good way.

“But, what I hope it brings, really, is some ideals in the community and the CCCAA level that we need to support our students better.”