Former college soccer standout Kayla Saager-Beckley died unexpectedly last week while pregnant with her first child. She was 30.
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Saager-Beckley, a former Binghamton University star who later played professionally, died Sept. 9 in Tulsa. She had married Tulsa football assistant coach John Beckley in June.
Tulsa head coach Tre Lamb revealed Monday that Saager-Beckley was pregnant with the couple's daughter, Sawyer.
"She was working out, 10 minutes later she was found unresponsive," Lamb said, via the New York Post. "It's just been a really hard week for him, for us as a staff, our coach's wives."
.@TulsaFootball head coach @CoachTreLamb9 opened his weekly press conference this afternoon by taking a moment to remember Kayla, the wife of outside linebackers coach John Beckley. Kayla passed away suddenly on Wednesday. The team will honor her with a helmet sticker. #ReignCane pic.twitter.com/NvCQCHxO2y
— Scott Pfeil (@scottpfeil) September 14, 2026
No official cause of death has been announced. Tulsa held a memorial for Saager-Beckley and plans to honor her with a helmet sticker.
A native of East Islip, N.Y., Saager-Beckley became one of Binghamton's most accomplished players. She scored 22 goals in two seasons, served as captain and was named the 2017 America East Striker of the Year. Her goals-per-game and points-per-game averages remain the best of Binghamton's Division I era.
After college, she played professionally in the Czech Republic before spending four years as an assistant coach at Troy University. She later moved into college soccer scouting and recruiting.
Binghamton coach Neel Bhattacharjee remembered her as a gifted competitor whose impact extended far beyond soccer.
"Beyond the field, she was known for her big heart and her deep love of family," he said. "Kayla, you are forever and always a Bearcat. May you rest in peace."
