Chris McLachlin, 61, who recently suffered a stroke and a seizure, is expected to make a full recovery, according to his wife, Beth.

"Chris is doing great," Beth said in a telephone interview from Stanford, Calif., yesterday. "From my perspective from where he was and where he is, it's great. In essence, he's at 75 percent. But the doctor expects a full recovery."

McLachlin, a highly successful and highly respected coach and administrator who retired last June after 37 years at Punahou School, suffered a stroke last Saturday.

He was resting comfortably after that incident. But while undergoing an MRI on Tuesday, "the loud noise, bright lights and claustrophobia" caused Chris to have a seizure.

"For four hours he couldn't talk," said Beth. "It looked as if he had another stroke, but after tests, it was just a result of a seizure."

Beth said Chris needs to stay a couple more weeks at Stanford Medical, where he will undergo therapy.

"Right now, they don't want him to drive or fly."

But Chris is talking and having conversations.

Golfer Michelle Wie, Chris' student while at Punahou and now a freshman at Stanford, brought flowers. Norm Chow, Chris' Punahou basketball teammate who is now the UCLA offensive coordinator, was among the many callers.

"Chris would really like to thank everybody for their cards, letters and flowers and e-mails and good wishes," said Beth, who said they received more than 100 phone calls and more than 330 e-mails.

"Everybody's been so wonderful."

Beth said she feels fortunate that Chris suffered his stroke while at the home of long-time friends.

Beth said Chris was at the home of Bob and Marianne Klett of Palo Alto, "trying to help them with a computer."

She said Marianne "is a stroke survivor," and Bob "is a stage 4 cancer survivor."

"Luckily, the computer was horrible and he (Chris) ended up staying longer," Beth said.

Had the computer problems been fixed sooner, Chris would have suffered the stroke while driving on a freeway, Beth said.

Beth said Bob "asked him a question and he couldn't answer them, so they knew immediately" what had happened and called an ambulance.

Furthermore, Beth said, "the Kaiser Hospital Stroke Center was 10 minutes away so that was a huge blessing."

Chris had traveled to California last week to watch his younger son Spencer, a freshman on Stanford's volleyball team, play against USC and Pepperdine.

But Spencer had injured his ankle.

Chris was then going to San Diego to see his other son, golf pro Parker, play in the Buick Invitational. (Parker, who was with his father Saturday and Sunday, made the cut yesterday after shooting rounds of 69-73.)

Beth said the two probably will return to Honolulu Feb. 11.

"He's doing much better. He's improving every day," Beth said. "The doctors are very positive and feel he'll make a full recovery."