Fast Break

NFL

Billick promotes Neuheisel

The Baltimore Ravens promoted former University of Washington coach Rick Neuheisel to offensive coordinator, although coach Brian Billick said he’ll continue to call the plays next season.

Billick did, however, bestow the title of offensive coordinator on Neuheisel, who will maintain his responsibilities as quarterbacks coach. Neuheisel will help devise the game plan, provide input on personnel decisions and continue his work with quarterbacks Steve McNair and Kyle Boller. More NFL/B3

Baseball

Dodgers sign Hendrickson

The Dodgers avoided arbitration with former Washington State University pitcher Mark Hendrickson, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2,925,000.

Hendrickson, a 32-year-old left-hander, made $1.95 million last year. More baseball/B2

College basketball

Florida ranked No. 1 in Top 25

Florida is back at No. 1 in the Associated Press college basketball poll for the second time this season, while the Washington State Cougars fell out of the rankings after a one-week stay.

Florida, the defending national basketball champs, moved up from second, following North Carolina’s loss to Virginia Tech over the weekend.

The Gators were on top of the preseason rankings and the first poll of the regular season before falling as low as seventh six weeks ago.

WSU, which won at Cal on Thursday before losing in overtime at Stanford on Saturday, received 128 points, 40 behind 25th-ranked Kentucky. The Cougars are ranked 21st in the coaches poll.

Gonzaga received one vote in the AP poll.

Cycling

Ullrich back in the news

The DNA of former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich could be compared to blood samples seized in the Spanish doping investigation.

Bonn (Germany) district attorney Fred Apostel said that Spanish authorities have agreed to hand over one of the bags of frozen blood found in last April’s raid on a Madrid clinic linked to alleged doping of up to 57 cyclists.

Ullrich and Italy’s Ivan Basso were among riders barred from last year’s Tour de France.

“We will have the blood bag out of Spain very soon – it could be next week or the start of February,” Apostel said.

Ullrich provided a saliva sample in September.

But Ullrich’s attorneys could refuse to let the cyclist’s saliva sample be compared. And court proceedings, including an appeal, could delay the testing.