Man charged with murder in 'Last Chance U' coach John Beam's death - ESPN

OAKLAND, Calif. — A 27-year-old man was charged Monday with murder in the death of celebrated former football coach John Beam, who died Friday after being shot in the head on the junior college campus in Oakland where he worked.

Cedric Irving faces 50 years to life if convicted, Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said at a Monday news conference. Irving also faces enhancement charges alleging he personally fired a gun that caused great bodily injury and that the victim was particularly vulnerable, possibly due to age, according to the charging complaint.

Beam, 66, was a giant in the local community, a father figure who forged deep relationships with his players while fielding a team that regularly competed for championships. The Netflix docuseries «Last Chance U» focused on Beam and the Laney Eagles in its 2020 season. He most recently had been serving as the school's athletic director after retiring from coaching last year.

«He really is the best of Oakland — was the best of Oakland,» Jones Dickson said. «His spirit is still here.»

The district attorney said Irving had no criminal record. He is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. The Alameda County Public Defender's Office said it had not been appointed to represent Irving and declined to comment.

Back-to-back shootings at two schools last week have roiled Oakland, a city of roughly 400,000 across the bay from San Francisco. On Wednesday, a student was shot at Oakland's Skyline High School. The student is in stable condition and two juveniles were in custody.

Jones Dickson said Skyline students were on a field trip at Laney College and had to suffer through two lockdowns in the same week. She said it was time to bring