John Beam, legendary coach from Netflix’s ‘Last Chance U,’ dead after being shot in head

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John Beam, the athletic director and former head football coach at Larney College who was a featured character in Netflix’s “Last Chance U” show in 2020, died Friday after being shot in the head on campus Thursday, according to ABC7 News.

He was described as being in critical condition following the shooting before being pronounced dead Friday at 10 a.m., the outlet reported.

Cedric Irving Jr., 27, was arrested early Friday morning, and while Oakland acting police chief James Beere said that Irving didn’t play for Beam and that they didn’t have a relationship, Irving allegedly knew of the longtime coach, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

John Beam, in a green jacket, looking out at a football field at night.John Beam is pictured. Courtesy of Netflix

“My thoughts are with Coach John Beam and his loved ones,” Oakland mayor Barbara Lee wrote in an X post early Friday morning. “We are praying for him. Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people. For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family. 

“This is the second shooting on an Oakland campus in two days, and it is devastating. Schools should be the safest spaces in our city. We need guns off our streets now. We are standing together, praying for Coach Beam and his loved ones.”

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