Block talks to Neuheisel

UCLA officials may have moved a step closer to finding a new football coach, after Rick Neuheisel was brought in to be interviewed by UCLA Chancellor Gene Block on Tuesday, according to sources familiar with the search.

Neuheisel, currently the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, was interviewed by UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero last week and is believed to the front-runner for the position. DeWayne Walker, UCLA’s interim head coach; Norm Chow, the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator; and John Harbaugh, a Philadelphia Eagles’ assistant coach, were also interviewed for the job.

But the source said that Neuheisel is the only one of those four to receive an interview with the chancellor at this time, a necessary step before a job offer can be made.

Neuheisel could not be reached for comment. Guerrero has declined all interview requests during the coach search.

This would be a homecoming for the 46-year-old Neuheisel, who was the quarterback for the Bruins in a 45-9 victory over Illinois in the 1984 Rose Bowl. He was also a UCLA assistant from 1986 to 1993.

Neuheisel had a 66-30 record during eight seasons as a head coach at Washington and Colorado, but those stops also involved controversy.

The NCAA put Colorado on two years’ probation for rules violations, though all were considered secondary violations. Neuheisel was fired from Washington for his involvement in a NCAA basketball betting pool, but later won a wrongful termination case and received a $4.5-million settlement from the NCAA and Washington.

Interest in Neuheisel has risen considerably since Coach Karl Dorrell was fired Dec. 3. Guerrero was said by sources to have little interest in Neuheisel originally because of his past brushes with the NCAA. But a groundswell of support from alumni and former players led to an interview, which apparently has alleviated Guerrero’s concerns.

UCLA’s ability to move the ball remains a question heading into its rematch with Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday.

Ben Olson’s injured left knee has Bruins coaches fretting, especially with Patrick Cowan unable to play because of knee injury.

“We’re still working through some issues at quarterback,” offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. “I don’t know how healthy Ben will be for this game. We’re more concerned about our people than BYU, to be honest.”

Olson’s injured knee is the one he pushes off on to throw.

“It’s like a pitcher in baseball, whenever the leg is not as strong or stable as normal, it does take a little off his ball,” Norvell said.

Osaar Rasshan, who started against Arizona State and Oregon, is the Bruins’ backup quarterback.

Barring a mammoth game, tailback Chris Markey will finish eighth on UCLA’s all-time rushing list.

Markey has 2,616 yards with one game remaining. Theotis Brown is seventh with 2,914 yards.

chris.foster@latimes.com