OAKLAND, CA. (THECOUNT) — November 17, 2025 — John Beam, the revered athletic director at Laney College and former head football coach featured in Netflix’s Last Chance U, died on Friday, November 14, 2025, at age 66, one day after being shot in a targeted incident on the Oakland campus. Oakland Police Department announced the arrest of 27-year-old Cedric Irving Jr. in connection with the homicide during a press conference on November 14.
Beam was shot just before noon on Thursday, November 13, inside the Laney College Fieldhouse in the 900 block of Fallon Street, near Lake Merritt. Officers responded to reports of a shooting and found Beam suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to Highland Hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries around 10 a.m. the following day, according to Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell.
“This was a very targeted incident,” said Assistant Chief James Beere at the press conference. “Coach Beam, although they did not have a close relationship [with the suspect], was open to helping everybody in our community and this is not uncommon for him to have a relationship with someone that he would think needs help.”
Irving, an Oakland resident and former football player at Skyline High School, was apprehended without incident at approximately 3:15 a.m. on November 14 at the San Leandro BART station by an Alameda County sheriff’s deputy who recognized him from circulated surveillance images. Authorities recovered a firearm from Irving that matched the caliber of bullet casings found at the scene. He is currently being held in Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County on suspicion of murder, with the case slated for presentation to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for potential charges.
Police described Irving as someone who knew Beam but lacked a close relationship. Irving, who played tight end for Skyline’s varsity team in 2016 and 2017 and ran track, did not play under Beam during the coach’s tenure there from the early 1990s to 2004. Irving was not a current or former student at Laney College, though his brother, Samuael Irving, told NBC Bay Area that Cedric had practiced informally with the Laney football team at some point. Beere noted that Irving was known to “loiter” around the Laney campus and had gone there “for a specific reason” on the day of the shooting, though details were not disclosed. A source familiar with the investigation told the San Francisco Chronicle that Irving confessed to the shooting and acknowledged knowing Beam.
The tragedy unfolded just one day after Beam voiced serious concerns about campus security at a November 12 meeting of the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees. As athletic director, Beam highlighted inadequate resources, including a lack of armed guards and limitations on arrests, across all four Laney campuses, specifically referencing the fieldhouse where he was later shot. Board member Pesha Pridgen echoed these worries, stating the district lacked the means to fully support the community.
Beam’s impact on Oakland sports spanned over four decades. He coached at Skyline High School, leading the team to 15 league championships, 11 section titles, and four undefeated seasons. In 2004, he joined Laney College as an assistant coach before becoming head coach, guiding the Eagles to a 2018 national community college championship. Under his leadership, hundreds of players transferred to four-year universities, with several reaching the NFL. Beam retired from coaching after the 2024 season but continued as athletic director.
His 2019 Laney team was the focus of Season 5 of Netflix’s Last Chance U, which premiered in 2020 and showcased the challenges faced by junior college athletes striving for professional dreams. The series brought national attention to Beam’s mentorship style, emphasizing discipline and second chances.
Hundreds gathered at Highland Hospital on Thursday night for a vigil, reflecting Beam’s profound influence. Piedmont Chief of Police Frederick Shavies, whose son played for Beam, described him as a transformative figure who instilled values beyond the field.
“Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator and a lifeline for thousands of young people,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee in a statement. “For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family.”
The shooting occurred amid heightened concerns for school safety in Oakland, following a November 12 incident at Skyline High where a student was injured and two juvenile suspects arrested. As the investigation continues, Beam’s legacy as a beacon for at-risk youth endures, leaving the Bay Area sports community in profound grief.
(All facts sourced from official police statements and verified reports as of November 17, 2025.)
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