 He moved to Canada when he was 32 and enrolled as a graduate student in physical education at the University of Western Ontario.He then became assistant professor and soccer coach at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.Bearpark served three years as technical director for the Ontario Soccer Association and then joined the Canadian Soccer Association, where he coached the national team to a fourth-place finish at the 1984 Great Wall of China Tournament, and led the team in qualifying for the 1984 Summer Olympics.