Viewers Break Down After Emotional Super Bowl Tribute to Murdered Coach

Super Bowl viewers were left wiping their eyes Sunday night after NBC opened its pre-game show with a powerful tribute to beloved Netflix coach John Beam — three months after his shocking murder on a college campus in Oakland.

Beam, the legendary Laney College coach featured on the hit Netflix series Last Chance U, was 66 when he was shot and killed in November. Police have accused 27-year-old Cedric Irving Jr. of the crime. His death devastated generations of players who saw him as far more than a coach.

Before the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots kicked off the battle for the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LX, NBC paused the hype to honor Beam’s life and legacy. The tribute was introduced by five-time Pro Bowler Marshawn Lynch, one of Beam’s longtime friends.

“Oakland is a town built on grit, on pride,” Lynch said in the segment. “Oakland ain’t polished and we like it that way. So did Coach John Beam.”

Two-time Super Bowl champ Marvel Smith, another former Beam player, added that while Beam looked like an outsider, he embodied everything Oakland stood for — strength, determination, and fight.

NBC’s tribute blended career highlights with deeply personal moments, including appearances from Beam’s daughters, Monica and Sonjha. Monica grew emotional describing her father’s constant belief in his players: “He would celebrate your wins more than you did. He was prouder of you than you ever were of yourself.”

Sonjha shared how devoted he was as a grandfather. “He loved my daughters so much. He wanted to coach them when they started playing sports.”

Lynch closed the segment with a message that hit viewers hard: “When someone like Coach Beam leaves, they don’t just leave memories. They leave a legacy. Rest easy, Coach Beam.”

Social media instantly lit up with reactions from fans who weren’t prepared for the emotional punch. “The John Beam segment wrecked me,” one person wrote on X. Another admitted, “Damn, this John Beam piece has me cryin.”

Beam’s coaching career stretched across four decades and multiple championships. He first made waves at Skyline High School in Oakland, where he won 15 titles and oversaw four undefeated seasons. At Laney College, he led explosive offenses, collected conference championships, and guided the Eagles to repeated bowl appearances before taking over as head coach in 2012.

His work on Last Chance U showcased what made him a legend: he took chances on athletes who had nowhere else to go, built personal relationships with them, and pushed them to change their lives both on and off the field.

Even in the middle of the biggest night in football, it was clear John Beam’s influence is still felt — and still deeply missed.