As Tony Dungy sat down at Border’s on Liberty Street to sign copies of his new book, “The Mentor Leader” on Sunday, it became clear this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill public appearance.

For starters, the former Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach’s kindergarten teacher, Dorothy Beach of Jackson, was the first person in line. Dungy, who grew up in Jackson, gave Beach a big hug and reminisced with her about a field trip to a farm they took while he was a student at Helmer Elementary School.

“This is probably the first time I’ve seen him since he was a little guy,” Beach said, smiling.

The line of eager autograph-seekers was filled with friends, well-wishers and people he knew from his youth.

“I went to high school with him,” one woman in line said. “I tried to find our senior year book, but I couldn’t.”

Dungy’s visit to Ann Arbor was part of a busy nine-day, 12-city, 18-signing tour that will take him from New Jersey to Florida and everywhere in between.

The book he is promoting, “The Mentor Leader,” is his third after “Quiet Strength” and “Uncommon.” In his latest book, Dungy examines “what propelled him to the top of his profession,” and how to build “teams that win consistently.”

He was not available for comment after the signing, because, after accommodating the larger-than-normal 350-person crowd in Ann Arbor, he was running late for a plane ride to the next signing in Atlanta.

“He was so excited to come back to Michigan,” his press secretary Jessica Quinn said. “On the car ride over here, he was telling me all these stories — his dad went to Michigan and was a huge fan, so he was excited to see the campus and everything again.”

One man that came to the event was on almost as tight a schedule as Dungy himself. Pioneer High School football coach Jeremy Gold had to dash from the signing to his annual season-kickoff players-and-players meeting, but was ecstatic after meeting Dungy.

“Tony Dungy is a guy who every coach should look up to,” Gold said. “He just sets a great example in how he conducts himself as a man, parent and coach.

“I’m very rarely at a loss for words, but getting to be here and talk with his friends and family and meet him, that was a great moment for me.”

Andy Reid covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at andrewreid@annarbor.com.