The Coach Beam Service Award inaugural winners are Coaches Virgil Hart and Charlie Ramirez. Sources: Photo collage – Alex Kith on X, Virgil Hart on X and (bottom far right) courtesy of CBLF.
Service Award established in memory of John Beam, beloved Oakland Football Coach and Educator
Honorable Mentions for Fremont, Concord coaches
By Tish Gallegos, Coach Beam’s Legacy Foundation
Oakland, CA (August 12, 2026) – Coach Beam’s Legacy Foundation has announced its two inaugural Bay Area winners of the Coach Beam Service Award. The foundation recognizes Virgil Hart, head football coach and women’s head basketball coach at Hayward High School, and Charlie Ramirez, head football coach at Pittsburg High School. The newly established award honors coaches who lead with heart, purpose and community to transform the lives of student-athletes. Coach Beam’s Legacy Foundation announced the 2026 winners during the Oakland Ballers baseball game at Raimondi Park in West Oakland.
“We hope this service award will allow Coach Hart and Coach Ramirez to continue focusing on helping their student athletes in a significant way,” said Monica Beam, co-founder of Coach Beam’s Legacy Foundation. “We recognize the great work they are doing in their communities and how they extend Coach Beam’s dedication to uplifting young people through sport and education and building lasting character.”
Coach Virgil Hart – Hayward High School
Coach Virgil Hart returned to his alma mater with a mission that extends far beyond football. In addition to serving as head football coach, Hart works as an academic and social-emotional counselor, allowing him to support students both on the field and throughout the school community.
Under his leadership, Hayward football has compiled a 20-10 record and a league championship, but Hart’s greatest impact can be seen in the relationships he builds with students. His program places a strong emphasis on academics, mental health, leadership, and personal growth. Student-athletes participate in year-round study halls supported by college tutors and math teachers, while the program uses NCAA academic tracking to help athletes prepare for college opportunities.
Hart also prioritizes mental wellness, partnering with graduate students in sports and performance psychology to work with athletes on resilience, mental toughness, and personal development. Perhaps most importantly, Hart creates a safe and supportive environment where students know they have an adult they can turn to.
“He is not simply focused on developing athletes; he is committed to developing well-rounded young people who are prepared for life’s challenges,” wrote one of Hart’s nominators.
Coach Charlie Ramirez – Pittsburg High School
Coach Charlie Ramirez, aka “Coach Ram”, has dedicated more than two decades to Pittsburg High School, first as a player and assistant coach and now as head football coach, teacher, and mentor.
His accomplishments on the field are extraordinary. Since becoming head coach, Ramirez has led Pittsburg football to a 36-0-7 record, multiple BVAL and NCS championships, a NorCal D1AA championship and a state championship game appearance.
But his greatest contribution is the culture he has created around those accomplishments.
Ramirez works closely with administrators, counselors, families, and student-athletes to ensure players are prepared academically and positioned for college opportunities. His program has significantly reduced the number of academically ineligible student-athletes and increased the varsity team’s GPA. The varsity program has also had zero academically ineligible players over the past three seasons.
His commitment extends into the community through civil rights advocacy, campus initiatives, youth coaching clinics, and opportunities that teach players leadership and civic responsibility.
“He protects, disciplines, advocates for, and loves them like family,” one recommender wrote.
Awards
The two Coach Beam Service Award winners will receive individual recognition with a $7,500 stipend and program support through a $5,000 grant for their athletic program. Awards are renewable for up to three years based on continued good standing.
Coach Beam’s Legacy Foundation’s nine-member selection committee also named two 2026 honorable mention coaches: Nathan Boyes, head women’s basketball coach at California School for the Deaf in Fremont, and Lanette Stanziano, cross-country and track and field coach at Concord High School. Each will receive a $1,500 donation to their programs.
The Coach Beam Service Award highlights coaches of all sports in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in California, who create safe, supportive environments where student athletes can truly thrive. By celebrating those who lead with compassion and integrity, the Foundation ensures Coach Beam’s legacy of unwavering commitment continues for generations to come.
The next round of nominations will open in Spring 2027. Criteria include serving as a high school coach in Alameda or Contra Costa Counties, possessing a minimum of three years coaching experience, and demonstrating a commitment to mentorship, leadership, and community impact. To learn more, visit www.coachbeamslegacy.org/service-award.
Coach Beam’s Legacy Foundation operates under the fiscal sponsorship of The AthLife Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting student-athletes in promising communities across the country.
For more information about Coach Beam’s Legacy Foundation, its mission, and how to donate, visit www.coachbeamslegacy.org.
About Coach Beam’s Legacy Foundation: Founded in 2025, Coach Beam’s Legacy Foundation was established by the Beam family to honor the life, values, and lifelong service of Coach John Beam. The Foundation exists to ensure that his name, his work, and his unwavering commitment to uplifting others continues to live on and positively impact the community he loved. Rooted in Coach Beam’s belief in the transformative power of sport, the Foundation seeks to develop well-rounded student-athletes and the leaders of tomorrow by focusing on five core pillars: Leadership, Academics, Financial Literacy, Mental Health and Social Justice. Guided by his enduring words – “I believe in you so you can believe in yourself”– the Foundation strives to empower young people to realize their potential, strengthen their communities, and create meaningful, lasting change. Learn more at www.coachbeamslegacy.org.
About The AthLife Foundation: Founded in 2010, The AthLife Foundation is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that every kid who plays can achieve lifelong success beyond sport. Through grant funding, training and industry leading resources, we help schools create a critical professional staff position in secondary education, called an Academic Athletic Coach. That Academic Athletic Coach works year-round to create high impact programming, taps into a student’s passion for their sport and drives holistic development. We’ve reached tens of thousands of student-athletes in schools across multiple states, strengthened by partnerships with organizations such as the Heisman Trophy Trust, Joe Moore Award and Foundation for Teamwork, NFL Foundation, New York Community Trust, St. Luke’s University Health Network, State of Connecticut, State of Pennsylvania, Under Armour Foundation, and many others. Learn more at athlifefoundation.org or join our professional network at 3ace.connectedcommunity.org.
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