The Houston Texans are likely to target David Shaw as the prime candidate for their head coaching vacancy.

Shaw 

"There's going to be a lot of candidates," Houston Chronicle columnist John McClain said. "Shaw has an NFL background, NFL pedigree. He could leave Stanford for just about any job he wanted, but the Texans, I know, will check him out as well as Lovie Smith and some others.

"I think the fact they want someone with an NFL background is very telltale," he said. "That rules out college head coaches that have never been in the NFL."

Shaw has gone 33-6 as head coach of Stanford.

Shaw has been an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens.