Coach Featured on Netflix Show Is Killed on Campus

John Beam, a football coach who gained national attention when featured on Netflix's Last Chance U, has died one day after being shot at Laney College in Oakland, reports the AP. Beam, 66, was shot Thursday at the community college, reports the New York Times. Police announced the arrest of a suspect on Friday, but they have not speculated about a motive.

Beam is a legendary figure in Oakland football, known for his empathetic coaching style and his success at both the high school level and then at Laney. He rose to wider fame in 2020, when Last Chance U featured him and the Laney Eagles, highlighting his holistic approach to mentoring players, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Twenty of his former players have gone on to the NFL, per the AP. Beam retired last year from coaching but had remained the school's athletic director.

"To many young men, especially young men of color, showing your vulnerability is a sign of weakness," Beam told the New York Times in 2020. "And we're trying to say: 'No. It's not. In fact, it's a sign of strength. Asking for help is a strength move, a power move.'" The shooting comes a day after a student was wounded in a separate shooting at Skyline High, where Beam once coached. This story was updated with news of Beam's death.