Laney College remembers legendary coach John Beam as new football season begins
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Laney College's football team is preparing for a new season, but it will do so without longtime coach John Beam for the first time in more than two decades.
Beam died in November after being shot at Laney's fieldhouse, a loss that shook the college community and the thousands of current and former players whose lives he influenced.
"It's still not easy to even come in the office, come in the building every day knowing what happened," said Dior Scott, a former Laney player who played under Beam in 2019 and was featured in the Netflix documentary "Last Chance U."
MORE: Remembering John Beam: Former players and students honor legendary coach in Oakland
Scott said he learned of Beam's death while out with his girlfriend.
"I was on a date night with my girlfriend, and then I just broke down crying. Just because I finally realized I lost the person that really loved me," Scott said.
Beam was a prominent figure in Bay Area football. As head coach at Skyline High School, he won 15 Oakland Athletic League championships and guided the program through an undefeated decade in the 1990s.
Interim Laney College President Becky Opsata said Beam's impact extended far beyond football, citing the large turnout at his memorial service as evidence of the connections he built throughout the community.
"I wasn't surprised. I knew how important he was to the community and to the people that he worked with. It was really powerful to see thousands of people coming together to commemorate that," Opsata said.
MORE: 'He was my hero': Thousands say goodbye to legendary Oakland coach John Beam at celebration of life
Following Beam's death, Laney increased security measures across campus and expanded efforts to support students and employees coping with the trauma of his killing.
"A renewed focus on the mental health of our students and our employees. That always was important but throughout last spring we did all kinds of trainings and group things and we really tried to make sure that everybody who needed to talk to somebody had that available," Opsata said.
Laney's football team is scheduled to return to the field Thursday. Current head coach Josh Ramos said Beam's influence will remain a constant presence throughout the season.
Ramos said the school plans to rename its fieldhouse in Beam's honor later this year and has organized several tributes to recognize his legacy.
"For our first home game, we're going to do an honoring on our scoreboard for him. We're really excited we get stickers for the back of our helmets with coach's initials, and we'll honor him his initials on the back of our helmet through every game this year," Ramos said.
Scott has since returned to Laney as the football team's receivers coach, a role he said reflects the influence Beam had on his life. He hopes to carry forward the lessons his former coach taught him by helping mentor the next generation of players.
"Teaching them ways of life instead of just football, I think that's the thing I like most. It's more than just a game," Scott said.
