Cops now say Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim WAS speeding before he struck and killed a man on a NY highway last month ... but believe his speed was not a factor in the fatal crash.
According to officials ... Boeheim was going 66 mph in a 55 mph zone just 5 seconds before he hit Jorge Jiminez in Syracuse, NY around 11 p.m. on Feb. 20.
Jorge was taken to the hospital and later died from the injuries he suffered.
Investigators say 74-year-old Boeheim attempted to hit the brakes before slamming into Jiminez -- but couldn't avoid the collision .