OMAHA (KMTV) — We all know Kyle Jurgens can coach, leading Skutt Catholic to five Class B state titles including the last 3 in a row. But what most don't get to see is how great of a dad Jurgens is to his two daughters.
"He does absolutely everything he can to be there for us in any way he can," said Stephanie Jurgens, Kyle's wife.
His oldest daughter, Jessa, was born a week before Kyle was named Skyhawks head coach. However, when Stephanie was just 20 weeks into pregnancy, the couple received devastating news. Jessa had Meckel-Gruber syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes brain abnormality and kidney disease. Many babies only survive a few hours and sometimes a few days after birth. But Jessa was one of a kind.
"She kind of defied the odds and was a miracle from the get-go," Kyle said. "And she taught plenty of lessons, and I feel like the medical field and the doctors and them as well were in awe of just what she did and what she overcame."
And the Jurgens were blessed for more than a decade with their daughter. Jess's favorite times typically revolved around music and definitely dancing.
"She was a special girl," said Kyle. "She was a ray of joy to always be around and she made you feel that when you were around her."
"You could hear Jess before you could see her in the building," said Skutt Catholic athletic director Donn Kasner. "And it was impossible to be in a bad mood when she was around."
The family even welcomed another daughter a few years later, Taelyn, who was a constant support by Jess's side.
"What I liked to do is in the summer go swimming with her and go on vacations with her," said Taelyn.
But last year, it was discovered that Jessa was going into kidney failure. Then on December 2,2025, 12 year old Jessa Jo Jurgens passed away.
"I think that's one thing, just knowing that she's dancing freely in heaven," said Stephanie.
"It has been tough," Kyle said. "And we'll continue to find a new normal day in and day out. There will be ups and there will be downs, but we'll be there by each other's side. I feel blessed that she was ours and we got to do that and provide for her and she changed me as a person forever."
While Kyle was away from the team for a couple of weeks to start the season, the Skyhawks had warmup shirts made in memory of Jessa.
"We have our family, but we also have our basketball family," said Kyle. "When you're grieving something this tough, that's what you want is your family around."
"God gives special people special needs children," said longtime Skyhawks' assistant coach Dave Eckley. "And he gives the people that he knows that can handle it. And those two parents were unbelievable."
The Jurgens keep Jessa's room the same with a poem on the wall that Stephanie wrote to her daughter before she was even born.
It reads in part:
"If you happen to meet God before we do, tell Him thank you for giving us you. You are our angel, our daughter, our star, and we'll always be with you wherever you are."
