Who is John Beam? Laney College athletic director, legendary coach from Netflix ‘Last Chance U’ shot on Oakland campus

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Sources tell ABC7 News that Laney College Athletic Director John Beam was shot Thursday afternoon on the Oakland campus, and his condition is unknown at this time.

Now, if you’ve been around the Oakland sports scene or watched the popular Netflix show “Last Chance U,” then Beam’s name is a familiar one.

He has spent decades coaching athletes throughout the East Bay, with some even going on to play in the NFL and Super Bowl.

RELATED: Laney College athletic director shot on Oakland campus, sources say

Here’s what we know about the legendary coach:

Start of coaching career

According to Laney’s website, Beam began coaching in 1979 at Serra High School in San Diego. There he was, the offensive line coach, and he helped the team reach the playoffs for the first time in school history.

Time at Skyline High School

Beam then made his way north and began coaching at Oakland Skyline High School in 1982 as the defensive coordinator. Shortly after he started, Skyline logged an undefeated season in 1984, including a win over national powerhouse De La Salle High School. Then, in 1987, Beam was promoted to head football coach. During his time, he won 15 league championships, 11 section championships, four undefeated seasons, and went undefeated in league play in the 90s.

Beam recorded a 160-33-3 overall record at Skyline and, at the time, reportedly produced more Division 1 players than any other program in Northern California.

Due to his sucess at Skyline, in 1997, Beam was awarded California State Coach of the Year.

Legendary run at Laney College

Beam is probably most well-known for his time at Laney College.

He got his start as the running backs coach in 2004 and then in 2005 was promoted to offensive coordinator. As coordinator, he helped the Eagles win three conference championships and five straight bowl game appearances.

In 2012, he was named head football coach, where he led Laney to two league titles, a .600 winning percentage, and four bowl games.

In 2018, Beam was named the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) coach of the year.

Between his time at Laney and Skyline, Beam has produced over 20 NFL players, including seven players who participated in the Super Bowl.

Last Chance U

Outside of the Bay Area, Beam’s name is probably most recognizable from Netflix’s popular show, “Last Chance U.”

“Last Chance U” is similar in style to HBO’s hit show “Hard Knocks.”

But instead of following around top NFL stars, “Last Chance” follows the struggles of college football players as they try and get noticed and get a scholarship offer from a Division 1 school.

ABC7 News spoke to Beam shortly after the documentary was released.

RELATED: Oakland’s Laney College football team reacts to debut on Netflix series ‘Last Chance U’

“Overall, the experience of it was unbelievable,” Coach Beam said. “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.”

Junior college football is often overlooked, much like the city of Oakland. But “Last Chance U” showed viewers the true story of both in a whole new way.

“They see the grind that young men are willing to go through to pursue a dream,” Coach Beam said. “They see a city like Oakland and I think our team matches the city.”