John Beake: key obituary facts
Is John Beake dead? Yes. John Beake died on October 17, 2026, at age 87.
Cause of death: John Beake's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was John Beake known for?
He was an American football player.
More about John Beake
Gender: male.
Born: December 20, 1938.
John Beake, an American football coach and executive who served as general manager of the Denver Broncos, died October 17, 2026, aged 87.
Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, he graduated from Long Branch High School in 1957 and Trenton State College in 1961, then earned a master’s degree at Penn State, where he worked as a graduate assistant under coach Rip Engle. Beake began coaching at the New York Military Academy, serving as head basketball coach and assistant football coach in 1963 and 1964.
He went on to coach football at Nyack High School for four seasons, compiling a 24-4-4 record. His football coaching career also included work with the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints. Beake joined the Broncos in 1979 as director of pro personnel and became director of player personnel in 1981. He was named assistant general manager in 1984. After the team went through that season without a general manager, Beake was promoted to the position on February 18, 1985. He led the Broncos’ front office as general manager through 1998, overseeing the club’s administrative operations during a tenure that spanned 14 seasons.