Three head football coaches have been fired by the Capistrano Unified School District after a lengthy investigation into allegations an athletics company converted school funds into personal accounts for them, according to a report in the Orange County Register.

Eric Patton of San Clemente High, Chi Chi Biehn of Capistrano Valley High and Brent Melbon of Dana Hills High were terminated by the school board Monday in a unanimous vote.

The allegations were raised by a married investor couple in Irvine who bought the Laguna Hills-based Lapes Athletic Team Sales as the company neared bankruptcy in 2008. The Register said the district's investigation revealed personal spending accounts provided by the athletic company allowed taxpayer money to be converted into personal credits that could be spent without oversight.

The Register's own investigation found that much of the money went back into the schools' athletic programs, but the coaches did spend money on clothing and other personal uses.