Former Binghamton Soccer Star Kayla Saager-Beckley Dies Suddenly at 30 While Pregnant

Former Binghamton University women’s soccer standout Kayla Saager-Beckley has died suddenly at the age of 30, leaving behind her husband and a daughter they were expecting to welcome as their first child.

Saager-Beckley, a native of East Islip, Long Island, died in Tulsa on September 9, 2026, according to Binghamton University Athletics.

Tulsa head football coach Tre Lamb later shared additional details about her sudden death during a team press conference. Lamb said Kayla had been working out and was found unresponsive about 10 minutes later, describing the situation as a medical emergency.

At the time of her death, Kayla was pregnant with her first child, a baby girl the couple planned to name Sawyer. Her husband, John Beckley, is the outside linebackers coach on the University of Tulsa football staff.

No official cause of death has been released.

Kayla was remembered not only as a talented athlete but also as a leader who made a lasting impact at Binghamton. She scored 22 goals in two seasons with the Bearcats, served as a team captain and was named the 2017 America East Striker of the Year. Binghamton described her as one of the program’s most accomplished forwards.

After graduating in 2019, Saager-Beckley continued working in soccer. She played professionally in the Czech Republic before spending four years as an assistant coach at Troy University, where she also earned a master’s degree. More recently, she had moved into college soccer scouting and recruiting.

Kayla and John had married only a few months before her death and had recently moved to Tulsa for his coaching career. Her sudden passing has deeply affected both the Tulsa football program and the Binghamton soccer community.

Tulsa plans to honor Kayla with a memorial helmet sticker during an upcoming game, while Binghamton coaches and former teammates have also expressed their grief over the loss of a former captain and standout player.

For her family, friends and the communities she touched through soccer, Kayla’s death represents a heartbreaking loss—made even more painful by the fact that she was preparing to become a mother for the first time.

Source: NY Post