Longtime Hawai'i athletics supporter Chris McLachlin is "up and walking and he's fine," just days after suffering a stroke, his wife Beth said in a telephone call from California yesterday.

"He's on the road to recovery," she added.

"He's doing a lot better," said son Spencer, a freshman on the Stanford University men's volleyball team. "He can walk and talk. He's doing really well."

McLachlin, a television analyst and former Punahou School coach and administrator, suffered the stroke Saturday afternoon while visiting with friends Bob and Marianne Klett. Marianne Klett is a stroke victim and recognized the symptoms "immediately," Beth said.

"When he initially had the stroke, he was unable to talk and use his right side," Beth said. "They gave him the shot for stroke victims, and they got it to him early."

She said the Kletts are "a second family to him, he was there helping them with their computer and they ended up being the big helpers," Beth said.

It was the second calamity within a year for a Hawai'i family long associated with athletics. Last February, Beth McLachlin broke a vertebra while conducting a physical education class at La Pietra. She has since recovered.

McLachlin will undergo an MRI and other tests today to determine the extent of the stroke and what may have caused it.

He will likely be in California for another week or two.

"Because of his athletic background, I think he's bounced back better than most," Beth said.

McLachlin retired last year after 37 years at Punahou as a coach, administrator, counselor and teacher. He led the Buffanblu to 11 state titles in volleyball and three state titles in basketball.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.